When do we use it?<\/p>\n
Right after some verbs and conjunctions.<\/p>\n
It is used in situations where the main clause has a negative meaning (in the sense of negation), or expressing situations of\u00a0warning, doubt, or\u00a0fear.<\/p>\n
The\u00a0ne expl\u00e9tif<\/i>\u00a0has a tendency to be forgotten\u00a0in some cases.\u00a0You can find it more often in formal French than in slang or\u00a0colloquial French.<\/p>\n
Nevertheless, regardless of\u00a0your French fluency level, you need to be able to recognize its function whenever you encounter it.<\/p>\n
Let us take a few examples:<\/p>\n
J’ai peur\u00a0qu’il ne<\/strong><\/span>\u00a0soit trop tard.<\/i><\/p>\n I am afraid it may be too late.<\/p>\n La nuit tomba avant que nous n<\/strong><\/span>‘ayons pu trouver un lieu pour dormir N’imputons point \u00e0 l’inquisition plus de crimes qu’elle n<\/strong><\/span>‘en a commis<\/em> If la subordonn\u00e9e<\/em><\/strong> (the\u00a0subordinate clause) contains a negation, then the “ne<\/strong><\/em>” can\u00a0go with “pas<\/em><\/strong>“, as in the following examples:<\/p>\n Ils\u00a0ont peur qu’il ne<\/strong><\/span> soit toujours\u00a0en vie.<\/i> Ils ont peur qu’ils ne<\/strong><\/span> soit pas<\/strong><\/span> encore en vie<\/em>. Tu ne voleras pas<\/strong>, \u00e0 moins que tu ne<\/strong><\/span> sois roi<\/i>.<\/i><\/p>\n You shall not steal, unless you are a king.<\/p>\n Compare the last sentence with with “\u00e0 moins que” (“unless”):<\/p>\n C’est difficile\u00a0\u00e0 pr\u00e9dire, \u00e0\u00a0moins que tu ne<\/strong><\/span> sois un devin\u00a0<\/i><\/p>\n It is difficult to predict, unless you are a seer<\/p>\n Finally, make sure that you do not confuse the “ne<\/strong><\/em>” expl\u00e9tif<\/strong><\/em>, with the “ne<\/strong><\/em>” of French literature, which we may cover in a next post.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" *NE*… A\u00a0two-letter\u00a0word\u00a0can be a source of\u00a0serious confusion for\u00a0new French learners! What is it exactly? It is un adverbe called the\u00a0“ne expl\u00e9tif.” When do we use it? Right after some verbs and conjunctions. It is used in situations where the main clause has a negative meaning (in the sense of negation), or expressing situations of\u00a0warning, doubt…<\/p>\n
\n<\/i>The night fell before we could find a place to sleep.<\/p>\n
\nLet us not attribute to the Inquisition more crimes more than it has committed.<\/p>\n
\nThey are\u00a0afraid that he may be still alive.<\/p>\n
\nThey are afraid that he may not be alive anymore.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/french\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2014\/05\/3669308866_207072af3f_z-350x263.jpg\")