In this grammar lesson you will learn how to say neither nor in French.
In this lesson you will learn about:
- how to say neither nor in French
- how the negation is used in sentences
- how you can quiz yourself on how to say neither nor in French
- how to practice with flashcards on how to say neither nor in French
- how and why you should use the courses of Language Atlas to learn French
Please refer to the French A2 Curriculum to get a better overview of French grammar, if you are curious about this negation fits in French A2 grammar.
By the end of the lesson you will know all about how to say neither nor in French!
Table of Contents
Introduction to Neither Nor in French
In English there are many ways to make multiple negative statements such as:
- neither…nor
- not…or
- not either…or
I drink neither coffee nor tea.
No one can get in or out.
She doesn’t speak either English or French.
All of these examples boil down to making multiple negative statements in one sentence.
In English there are many ways to do this.
In French however, there’s just one way to make multiple negative statements in one sentence.
In this lesson, I am going to teach you how to do this!
How to say Neither Nor in French
“Neither…nor” in French can be expressed in the following way:
- ne…ni…ni = neither…nor
Je ne bois ni café ni thé.
I drink neither coffee nor tea.
Il ne sait lire ni écrire.
He can neither read nor write.
Personne ne peut entrer ni sortir.
No one can get in or out.
Elle ne parle ni anglais ni français.
She doesn’t speak either English or French.
Nous ne savons pas comment ni pourquoi.
We don’t know how or why.
When to use Articles
With this negation you are only allowed to use definite articles (le, la, and les).
However, you only use the definite articles to refer to something in a specific situation.
Je ne veux ni vin ni bière.
I neither want wine nor beer.
This is a general statement. This person just doesn’t want wine or beer, regardless of the situation. Maybe this person doesn’t drink alcohol.
Je n’aime ni le pain ni le fromage.
I neither like the bread nor the cheese.
This is a specific situation. This person is having a meal and declines the bread and cheese. Maybe this person would like to eat these things on another day.
Jean ne prend ni miel ni lait avec son thé.
Jean takes neither honey nor milk with his tea.
This is a general situation. In everyday life, Jean doesn’t take honey or milk in his tea.
Je ne vais manger ni le poulet ni la salade.
I am not going to eat either the chicken or the salad.
This is a statement in a specific situation. The person has looked at the chicken and salad and decided not to eat either of them.
Sentences Overview of Neither Nor in French
The final section of this lesson on how to say neither nor in French is about seeing the negation in action.
This is valuable because you can improve your understanding on how to say neither nor in French through examples.
Here you can find the sentences of the previous chapters, neatly stored in one place.
Je ne bois ni café ni thé.
I drink neither coffee nor tea.
Il ne sait lire ni écrire.
He can neither read nor write.
Personne ne peut entrer ni sortir.
No one can get in or out.
Elle ne parle ni anglais ni français.
She doesn’t speak either English or French.
Nous ne savons pas comment ni pourquoi.
We don’t know how or why.
Je ne veux ni vin ni bière.
I neither want wine nor beer.
Je n’aime ni le pain ni le fromage.
I neither like the bread nor the cheese.
Jean ne prend ni miel ni lait avec son thé.
Jean takes neither honey nor milk with his tea.
Je ne vais manger ni le poulet ni la salade.
I am not going to eat either the chicken or the salad.
Quiz Yourself on Neither Nor in French
At the end of every lesson you can do a small quiz.
You will see the sentences of the previous chapter.
You will either need to fill in the blanks, choose the correct multiple choice option, or both.
Once you are done the correct answer will be shown.
You can redo the quiz as many times as you want!
How to Practice With Flashcards for This Lesson
Using flashcards is an absolute necessity when it comes to learning a language!
It is the best way to memorize what you learn, you can personalize your progression because it adapts to your actions, and all flashcards have audio to improve your hearing and pronunciation.
Please read our article on how to learn a new language for more information on flashcards and the best way to learn a new language.
There are two ways to practice with Flashcards for this lesson.
- Anki
- The Flashcards in our Courses
Anki is a free software with which you can create and practice flashcards.
After you have downloaded Anki, you can get our French A2 Anki Deck.
This Anki Deck contains 3,816 flashcards with which you can practice absolutely everything for French A2.
All the flashcards have text, images, explanations, and audio.
You can also use our courses that have flashcards integrated alongside lessons with audio, quizzes and much more!
However, I am sure you are wondering, what are your courses, and why should I take them?
The Courses of Language Atlas
Have you ever wondered what the best way is to learn a new language?
I have been learning languages for over 20+ years and I was always frustrated with books, courses, and classes that I had tried.
It never really seemed to work for me.
I wanted to learn a language in the most effective and efficient way, and there was nothing out there for me.
So I thought, “why not make something myself?“.
Using my experience and by doing research I created Language Atlas, a platform where people can learn French and Spanish in the most effective and efficient way.
I created free lessons and quizzes so that there would always be a easy and accessible way for people to learn or brush up on their language skills.
However, I also created courses that are much more comprehensive and in-depth.
These courses are easy to follow, clear, and allow you to become fluent in the most effective and efficient way.
The courses of Language Atlas have:
- 800+ Lessons with audio
- 800+ Quizzes
- 10,000 Flashcards with explanations, images, and audio
- A gamified way of learning a new language
- A vibrant community (including support from me)
You can register for free and try the French A0/A1 and Spanish A0/A1 Courses for free!
This includes over 60 lessons and quizzes, 500 flashcards that adapt to how you learn, and access to the community (including support from me).
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