ni
neither
Mot qui relie deux éléments pour dire que les deux sont absents ou exclus, souvent utilisé avec un autre mot du même type.
The word "ni" in French is a conjunction used to express negation or exclusion. It typically means "nor" or "neither" in English.
Meaning and usage:
-
Negative coordination: "Ni" is used to connect two or more elements that are both negated.
Example:
- Il ne mange ni viande ni poisson.
(He eats neither meat nor fish.)
- Il ne mange ni viande ni poisson.
-
After neither ... nor: Often appears in pairs, for example "ni... ni..." meaning "neither... nor..."
Synonyms and differences:
-
Ou: Means "or" and is used to present alternatives or choices, but it is affirmative, not negative.
Example: Tu veux du café ou du thé?
(Do you want coffee or tea?) -
Et: Means "and" for positive conjunctions (addition), while "ni" is a negative conjunction.
-
Sans: Means "without" and expresses absence, but does not serve as a direct conjunction between items in a list as "ni" does.
Summary: "Ni" is specifically used to connect two or more negated elements to indicate that none of them apply, equivalent to "neither... nor..." in English.
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Examples
Elle ne veut ni café ni thé.conjunction
She wants neither coffee nor tea.
Papa ne boit ni lait ni jus.conjunction
Dad drinks neither milk nor juice.
Nous ne commandons ni jus ni eau.conjunction
We order neither juice nor water.
Marie ne prend ni lait ni eau le matin.conjunction
Marie takes neither milk nor water in the morning.
Marie ne prend ni café ni thé le matin.conjunction
Marie takes neither coffee nor tea in the morning.
Il n’a ni frère ni sœur chez lui.conjunction
He has neither a brother nor a sister at home.
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