Ne ... rien = Nothing (French Negations)

In French, to express not ... anything, you use a specific negative structure: ne ... rien.

Negative sentences with "ne ... rien" in French

Look at these examples:

Je n'ai rien !I have nothing.

Je ne sais rien !I know nothing!

Je ne regrette rien !I regret nothing!

Ça va ? - Oui, ce n'est rien.Are you ok? - Yes, it's nothing.

Notice that to say "nothing / not...anything" with a verb, you wrap the two words ne… rien around the verb.

N.B: you can also use rien on its own to mean 'nothing'.

Qu'est-ce que tu veux ? - Rien.What would you like? Nothing.

 

Want to make sure your French sounds confident? We’ll map your knowledge and give you free lessons to focus on your gaps and mistakes. Start your Brainmap today »

Learn more about these related French grammar topics

Examples and resources

Je ne regrette rien !I regret nothing!
Ça va ? - Oui, ce n'est rien.Are you ok? - Yes, it's nothing.
Je n'ai rien !I have nothing.
Je ne sais rien !I know nothing!

rien = nothing


Qu'est-ce que tu veux ? - Rien.What would you like? Nothing.
I'll be right with you...