Can you use aucun/aucune to shorten these sentences?

helen w.C1Kwiziq Q&A regular contributor

Can you use aucun/aucune to shorten these sentences?

Especially, if you are saing "neither". Could you use aucun/aucune with "ne" in front fo the verb: J'ai appelé Paul et Hadrien, mais aucun (or personne) n'a répondu." (I'm thinking now that aucun is about things not people? So, what about personne?)
Asked 6 years ago
Chris W.C1 Kwiziq Q&A super contributor Correct answer

You can say either: "aucun n'a répondu" or "personne n'a répondu".
They mean about the same thing with a slight difference in connotation:
"aucun" seems to imply a known group of people of which nobody replied. "personne" is simply "nobody".

Comparing it to English, it seems to me that "aucun" is similar to "none" and "personne" to "nobody".

-- Chris (not a native speaker).

AurélieNative French expert teacher in KwiziqCorrect answer
Tom K.C1 Kwiziq Q&A super contributor Correct answer

I believe that Aucun in the plural can be used with those nouns that only exist in a plural form and also for those nouns whose meanings differ from singular to plural.

e.g.Aucuns agrès (No equipment), Aucunes arrhes (No deposit);  Aucuns frais (No charges).

 

Also,

D'aucuns (Some (people)) acting as an equivalent of Certains or Quelques-uns is sometimes used:

          D'aucuns croient que la terre est plate.

helen w.C1Kwiziq Q&A regular contributor
Oops. Just found out aucun/e can apply to people....so would the use of aucun or personne be correct?
helen w.C1Kwiziq Q&A regular contributor
Bonjour, Chris and Aurelie-- Thank you both!! Very helpful. Somehow I can remember aucun(e) more easily!
helen w. asked:

Can you use aucun/aucune to shorten these sentences?

Especially, if you are saing "neither". Could you use aucun/aucune with "ne" in front fo the verb: J'ai appelé Paul et Hadrien, mais aucun (or personne) n'a répondu." (I'm thinking now that aucun is about things not people? So, what about personne?)

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