This is in one of the green callout boxes in the lesson: "In this negative structure, you only use de or d' in front of a vowel or mute h." This really confused me when I first read it because it seems to say you shouldn't use either one if there's no vowel/mute h. I think a comma or parens would make it clearer: "In this negative structure, you only use de (or d' in front of a vowel or mute h)."
To say you have none left in French, you wrap the expression ne ... plus de around the verb avoir (to have).
Look at these examples:
Je n'ai plus d'encre dans mon stylo.
I have no ink left in my pen.
Tu n'as plus de lait.
You have no milk left.
Julie n'a plus de beurre.
Julie doesn't have any butter left.
Nous n'avons plus de temps, nous devons prendre une décision.
We have no time left, we must make a decision.
Vous n'avez plus de pommes à la maison.
You don't have any apples left at home.
Ils n'ont plus d'appétit.
They have no appetite left. / They're not hungry anymore.
When the object is countable (apples, marbles etc.), the -s remains at the end.
ATTENTION:
As this is a negative structure, you only use de (or d' in front of a vowel or mute h).
See also Du, de la, de l', des all become de or d' in negative sentences (partitive articles)
See also Du, de la, de l', des all become de or d' in negative sentences (partitive articles)
Pronounciation Note:
When plus has a negative meaning (no more), you never pronounce the final -s.
Learn more about these related French grammar topics
Examples and resources
Nous n'avons plus de temps, nous devons prendre une décision.
We have no time left, we must make a decision.
Je n'ai plus d'encre dans mon stylo.
I have no ink left in my pen.
Il n'a plus de billes.
He doesn't have any marbles left.
Tu n'as plus de lait.
You have no milk left.
Vous n'avez plus de pommes à la maison.
You don't have any apples left at home.
Julie n'a plus de beurre.
Julie doesn't have any butter left.
Ils n'ont plus d'appétit.
They have no appetite left. / They're not hungry anymore.
Q&A Forum 13 questions, 27 answers
Indeed, that's much clearer :)
The lesson has now been amended accordingly to your great suggestion!
Merci et bonne journée !
Margaret asked:View original
Clarification of the tip about 'de'
This is in one of the green callout boxes in the lesson: "In this negative structure, you only use de or d' in front of a vowel or mute h." This really confused me when I first read it because it seems to say you shouldn't use either one if there's no vowel/mute h. I think a comma or parens would make it clearer: "In this negative structure, you only use de (or d' in front of a vowel or mute h)."
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I was always taught that "ne...plus" meant "no more" or "no longer". Therefore to say one has "no milk" is would be a simple negation vs. "ne..plus"
Asked 4 months ago
Hi Madeline,
Je n'ai pas de lait = I don't have any milk
Je n'ai plus de lait = I don't have any milk left
Hope this helps!
Another good example of kwiziq's confusing pedagogy. 'no more' corresponds to 'ne plus' and is a very straightforward explanation. It of course is then equivalent to english 'none left'. I find your approach unnecessarily confusing. If 'none left' is so much more important conceptually, perhaps some explanation is in order.
Madeline asked:View original
I was always taught that "ne...plus" meant "no more" or "no longer". Therefore to say one has "no milk" is would be a simple negation vs. "ne..plus"
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Hello, I don't see any reference to "Il y a" so just to check. Can you say: "In n'y a plus de pommes?"
ou avec "exister"
"Il n'existe plus de chocolat?
Sorry, I pressed enter on previous question, please ignore.
Asked 5 months ago
Hi Phil
Il n'y a plus de pommes /de chocolat/de beurre
is correct...
Phil asked:View original
Hello, I don't see any reference to "Il y a" so just to check. Can you say: "In n'y a plus de pommes?"
ou avec "exister"
"Il n'existe plus de chocolat?
Sorry, I pressed enter on previous question, please ignore.
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Hi Phil,
If you mean, is it correct to say -
‘Il n’y a plus de lait, de beurre, de pain ...’
It is, but makes for a more general comment although if you say -
Il n’y a plus d’encre dans mon stylo‘ it is exactly the same as saying, ’Je n’ai plus d’encre dans mon stylo’.
Hope this helps!
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What about à?
Je vais à Paris.
devient:
Je ne vais plus de Paris?
ou
Je ne vais plus à Paris?
Merci :)
Asked 7 months ago
Dylan asked:View original
What about à?
Je vais à Paris.
devient:
Je ne vais plus de Paris?
ou
Je ne vais plus à Paris?
Merci :)
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CécileKwiziq language super star
Hi Ahmadullah,
Not sure what you are asking , could you be more precise?
Sorry for inserting myself into this conversation. But, I believe the question might have been 'how to say, "We don't have gas/gasoline/petro/petroleum anymore." Is that Nous n'avons plus de gasoline?
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"Plus" usually means "more". Then the sentance, Il n'a plus de billes, should read, I do not have anymore marbles. Where does "left" come from?
Asked 10 months ago
ChrisCorrect answer
Hi Roy,
Translating between languages isn't a mathematical science. The upshot is that the sentence Je n'ai plus de billes carries the same meaning as the English "I don't have anymore marbles" or "I don't have anymore marbles left". Either of those English versions would translate to the same French sentence.
Thanks guys. My problem was that my answer to a recent kwiz question was determined, not "right" because I "left" out the "left". Lol. Salut
I empathize with you. It is, after all, just a dumb computer comparing strings of letters without regard for their meaning.
Roy asked:View original
"Plus" usually means "more". Then the sentance, Il n'a plus de billes, should read, I do not have anymore marbles. Where does "left" come from?
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Vous n'avez plus de pommes à la maison - why isn’t it des pommes here if there are multiple apples?
Asked 11 months ago
Bonjour Mouse !
As stated in the lesson, with that negative structure (no more left), the articles follow the established rule of becoming de or d' .
Have a look at the related lesson:
https://progress.lawlessfrench.com/revision/grammar/the-partitive-article-in-negative-sentences
I hope that's helpful!
Bonne journée !
Thank you Aurélie. But, do you know the reason why de is used always even for plurals instead of des? It's not intuitive for me.
Mouse asked:View original
Vous n'avez plus de pommes à la maison - why isn’t it des pommes here if there are multiple apples?
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Could you also use aucun?
She doesn't have any milk left. "Elle n'a plus aucun de lait" Would that be considered wrong?
Asked 1 year ago
Hi Helen,
It is incorrect to say what you suggest for, She doesn't have any milk left .
You would say , Elle n'a plus de lait or even, Elle n'a plus du tout de lait.
For the double negatives using aucun here are a couple of examples using ne plus and aucun , Elle n'a plus aucun respect pour lui, or, Elle n'a plus aucun ami, which will translate as, She has no respect left for him whatsoever, She has no friends left whatsoever.
Hope this helps!
That sounds wrong to my ears, Helen. "Aucun" refers to countable objects. But:
Elle n'a aucune de bouteilles de lait. -- She hasn't got any milk bottles.
Elle n'a plus de bouteilles de lait. -- She has no more milk bottles.
Elle n'a pas de bouteilles de lait. -- She has no milk bottles.
In this examples the bottles of milk are individually countable and therefore "aucune" works in this case. But I don't think you can use "aucune" and "plus" together.
-- Chris (not a native speaker).
Thank you, Chris...
I was also looking for Aucun/e in the double negative lesson and didn't find it. I really appreciate your help.
Helen asked:View original
Could you also use aucun?
She doesn't have any milk left. "Elle n'a plus aucun de lait" Would that be considered wrong?
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AurélieKwiziq language super star
Bonjour Chris!
You would say: "Je n'AI plus d'eau.".
"a" is the verb form for "il/elle/on" : e.g. "Il n'a plus d'eau."
A bientôt !
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Hi Laura - can you invert "n'avoir plus de" to form a question?
ie - Don't you have any money left?
Asked 3 years ago
Bonjour John,
This is a very interesting question.
You could indeed form the following question:
"N'as-tu plus d'argent ?"
But you could also use "As-tu encore de l'argent ?" which would be "Do you still have some money?".
I hope that's helpful!
This is a very interesting question.
You could indeed form the following question:
"N'as-tu plus d'argent ?"
But you could also use "As-tu encore de l'argent ?" which would be "Do you still have some money?".
I hope that's helpful!
AurélieKwiziq language super star
@ John and Shruti
Yes, both your sentences are valid to ask "Don't you have any money left?" :)
Bonne journée!
John asked:View original
Hi Laura - can you invert "n'avoir plus de" to form a question?
ie - Don't you have any money left?
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