ne

Declension

Usage notes

Used combined with ket, mirroring French ne ... pas.

Usage notes

• ne cannot be used more than once as the object of a given verb.
• While ne is usually used to replace phrases beginning with the preposition de, adverbial phrases (eg de pressa) are replaced with hi.
• ne is sometimes used instead of ho to replace an adjective or indefinite noun as the predicate of a verb.
• ne is sometimes used popularly to add emphasis to a sentence: in this sense, it has no translation in English.
• -ne is the full (plena) form of the pronoun. It is normally used after verbs ending with a consonant or ⟨u⟩, or between some adverbs/pronouns and a verb. In some varieties of Catalan (Balearic/Valencian) it can also occur in sentence-initial position.

See also

Usage notes

ne is used primarily in dialects that retain the three-way gender split. It is only used for masculine words, while een is used for feminine and neuter words.

The form nen is used before vowels (as the English an) and certain consonants (commonly b, d and t), differing from dialect to dialect.

Antonyms

• ja
• jes

Derived terms

• nei (“to say no, to deny”)
• nee (“rejectingly, denyingly, with the word no”)
• nea (“negative, denying, rejecting”)
• kapnei (“to shake one's head no”)

Usage notes

See the usage notes under se.

Inflection

The case suffixes are mostly regular (except the inessive and elative singular). Abessive is never used in the singular and extremely seldom in the plural. Instructive niin is more or less a theoretical construction, since it has developed into an adverb, and its current meaning cannot be derived from ne.

Descendants

• Kven: net
• Meänkieli: net

See also

Usage notes

• Typically, ne follows the subject and is itself followed by the verb and:
  • a negative adverbial (pas (“not; don't/doesn't”), plus (“no more, no longer”), jamais (“never”), guère (“hardly”), or (now literary) point (“not a bit”));
  • a nominal element modified by a negative determiner (aucun or nul, both meaning "no", "not a") — note that these phrases can take on nominal, pronominal or adverbial functions;
  • More mobile are negative pronouns, the most common being personne (“nobody”) and rien (“nothing”), which will follow ne and the verb if they function as the object complement of that verb, but if they are the subject of a given clause, they will usually sit at its head:

  Personne ne s’en souviendra demain. ― Nobody will remember about it tomorrow.

  Rien ne le dérange. ― Nothing bothers him.

• In literary French (i.e., the most formal variety of the written language) certain verbs can be negated with ne alone (without another negating element like pas). Nowadays, this list is restricted chiefly to the verbs pouvoir, savoir, cesser, oser, and daigner. Less formal registers still require coordination with another negative element.
• In colloquial (i.e., spoken) French, ne is often omitted, leaving the other negating element (pas, plus, rien, personne, etc.) to indicate the sentence's negative state on its own (unless more than one of these elements is already present).

  Je veux pas ça. ― I don't want that.

  Il attend personne. ― He's not waiting for anyone.

  J’en ai plus besoin. ― I don't need it anymore.

  On va nulle part. ― We're not going anywhere.

In some regions, ne has disappeared from spoken language either entirely or nearly so. Even when it is included in spoken form, the weak "e" is often elided, causing the remaining /n/ to assimilate into nearby words. Compare a few possible versions of the above example, Je veux pas ça, more or less rising in levels of formality:

J’ veux pas ça. /ʒ‿vø pɑ sa/

Je veux pas ça. /ʒə vø pɑ sa/

Je n’ veux pas ça. /ʒə̃ vø pɑ sa/

Je ne veux pas ça. /ʒə nə vø pɑ sa/, /ʒə‿n.vø pɑ sa/

Adverb

ne

1. why

Pronoun

ne

1. (interrogative) what?

   O ne?

   What is that?

   ne isteersiniz?

   what do you want?

2. whatever, what

   ne desä yapacam

   I will do whatever he says

Conjunction

ne... ne...

1. neither... nor...

   ne sendä ne dä bendä var

   Neither I nor do you have it.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /nə/

Particle

ne

2. (colloquial, regional, Northern Germany, North Rhine-Westphalia) right?; is it?; is it not?; tag question

   Synonyms: gell, oder, wa; see also Thesaurus:nicht wahr

   Wir müssen da lang, ne?

   We need to go that way, don't we?

   Du hast keine Geschwister, ne?

   You don't have siblings, do you?

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /neː/

Interjection

ne

2. Alternative spelling of nee

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /nə/

Article

ne

2. Alternative spelling of 'ne

See also

• iähne

Usage notes

Used before the verb in an imperative clause (or sometimes a conditional clause expressing a wish or desire) to negate that clause; ne is always used instead of nem in the imperative mood.

Derived terms

Adverb

ne

1. not, don’t

Noun

ne (plural ne-i)

1. The name of the Latin script letter N/n.

Alternative forms

• -ne (enclitic form)

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): ^°/ne/^°
• IPA^(key): (traditional) /ne/^°
• Rhymes: -e
• Hyphenation: ne
• In modern usage but not traditional usage, this word actively blocks syntactic gemination of its initial consonant. Hence però ne prendo (“I (will) take some”) is pronounced /peˈrɔ ne ˈprɛndo/ in modern usage, but /peˈrɔ‿nne ˈprɛndo/ traditionally, since però normally triggers syntactic gemination.

Adverb

ne

1. from there

   Si chiuse in casa e non ne uscì per giorni.

   He shut himself in the house, and didn't come out for days.

   (literally, “He locked himself in house, and didn't from there come out for days.”)

Pronoun

ne

1. from this; from that; from these; from those, sometimes not translated in English

   Furono mesi di lavoro sfibrante, ma ne venne fuori un gran film.

   There were months of exhausting work, but a great movie came out of those.

2. about this; about that; about these; about those

   Ne abbiamo parlato, ma non sono sicuro che abbia capito.

   We talked about that, but I'm not sure he understood.

   Certo che ricordo quell'evento: ne ho perfino scritto in un articolo.

   Of course I remember that event, I even wrote an article about that

3. of this; of that; of these; of those, sometimes not translated in English

   Se è avanzata della torta, ne vorrei una fetta, per favore.

   If there's some cake left, I would like a slice.

   (literally, “If is left some cake, of it I would like a slice.”)

   Avevi promesso di tornare a casa, te ne ricordi?

   You promised you'd come back home, do you remember (that)?

   (literally, “You had promised to come back to home, do you of it remember?”)

4. of them (sometimes not translated in English)

   Non ne ho più.

   I don't have any left.

   (literally, “I don't of it have any more.”)

5. for this; of that; of these; of those, sometimes not translated in English

   Ho capito cos'ha fatto, ma non ne ho capito il motivo.

   I understood what he did, but I didn't understand the reason for that.

6. intensive particle, used in forms of certain verbs suffixed with -ne, where it indicates a particular way of carrying out the verb's action

   Spalancò la porta e se ne andò tutta esultante.

   She slammed the door open, and left all cheerful.

   Se ne sta sdraiato per ore a non fare nulla.

   He just stays there lying down for hours, without doing anything.

7. only used in forms of the verb of volerne (“to hold a grudge”)

   Non te ne vorrò.

   I won't hold a grudge against you.

8. only used in forms of the verb of andarne (“to be at stake”)

   Ne va della tua vita.

   Your life is at stake.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): ^°°/ne/^*
• Rhymes: -e
• Hyphenation: ne
• This word triggers syntactic gemination of the following consonant, and may or may not block syntactic gemination of its initial consonant (contrast the pronominal usage above).

Contraction

ne

1. Apocopic form of nel

   Massimo Troisi non ha vinto un oscar per la sua interpretazione ne Il postino.

   Massimo Troisi did not win an Oscar for his performance in Il Postino.

Pronoun

ne

1. blend of 3rd person singular possessive/ergative pronoun + 3rd person singular absolutive pronoun

   Ikit ne.

   S/he saw him/her.

Particle

ne

1. (informal) sentence-final particle indicating emotion or mild emphasis

   Nokarin ya kaya ne?

   Now, I wonder where is s/he?

2. (tag question) sentence-final question marker particle indicating emphasis and asking for confirmation: right?; eh?; isn't it, innit?

   Mako naku ne?

   I'm leaving, ok?

Adverb

ne

1. already; now (expresses the event when following a verb)

   Yari ne.

   Finished already.

2. already; now (declares the event of action when following a verb in the past tense)

   Meko ne.

   s/he left already.

3. already; now (suggests immediate or quick action when following the infinitive form and future tense of the verb)

   Papunta ne kanu.

   s/he said that s/he's coming already.

Usage notes

• In North Karelian, ne is used to refer to objects that are far away from the speaker, but close to the addressee.

Declension

See also

Adverb

nē (not comparable)

2. no, not
   • 27 BCE – 25 BCE, Titus Livius, Ab Urbe Condita 1.10:

     ne Crustumini quidem atque Antemnates […] satis se inpigre movent

     the Crustuminians and Antemnates did not move with enough energy

3. + subjunctive, introduces a prohibition or negative command: do not, don’t
   • c. 110 BCE – c. 25 BCE, Cornelius Nepos, On the Latin Historians II. Atticus 16.2.5:

     nē necesse habueris

     do not regard it as necessary

   • 62 BCE – 43 BCE, Cicero, Epistulae ad Familiares 7.18.3:

     nē sīs admīrātus

     do not be surprised

   • 62 BCE – 43 BCE, Cicero, Epistulae ad Familiares 7.25.2:

     nē Apellae quidem dīxeris

     do not tell Apella even

   • 45 BCE, Cicero, De divinatione 2.127:

     hōc facitō; hōc nē fēceris

     thou shalt do this, thou shalt not do that

   • c. 45 BCE, Cicero, Tusculan Disputations 1.98:

     nē vōs quidem mortem timueritis

     nor must you fear death

4. + future imperative, introduces a prohibition or negative command in general directions serving for all time, as precepts, statutes, and proverbs: do not, don’t
   • c. 77 CE – 79 CE, Pliny the Elder, Naturalis Historia 18.334:

     Boreā flante, nē arātō, sēmen nē iacitō

     when the north wind blows, do not plough, do not sow seed

Conjunction

nē (+ subjunctive)

2. that not, in order not to and similar; lest

   Vereor, nē videātur ōrātiō mea stulta.

   I fear lest my oration seem foolish.

   • c. 52 BCE, Julius Caesar, Commentarii de Bello Gallico 7.11:

     nē quem post sē hostem reliqueret

     in order not to leave any enemy behind himself

   • c. 52 BCE, Julius Caesar, Commentarii de Bello Gallico 7.10:

     sī reliquam partem hiemis ūnō locō legiōnēs continēret, nē stipendiāriīs Aeduōrum expugnātīs cūncta Gallia dēficeret

     [he feared] lest if he should confine his legions in one place for the remaining part of the winter, all Gaul would revolt when the stipendiaries of the Aedui were subdued

   • c. 52 BCE, Julius Caesar, Commentarii de Bello Gallico 7.11:

     veritus nē noctū ex oppidō prōfugerent

     he feared lest [the enemy] should escape by night

Interjection

nē

1. truly!, indeed!; only joined with personal pronouns and commonly connected with other affirmative particles
   • 44 BCE – 43 BCE, Cicero, Philippics :

     At enim te in disciplinam meam tradideras—nam ita dixisti—domum meam ventitaras. Ne tu, si id fecisses, melius famae, melius pudicitiae tuae consuluisses.

     You had however committed yourself to my instruction and frequented my house, or so you claimed. You would certainly have been more mindful of your virtue and reputation if you had!

See also

• na

References

The Essentials of Luganda, J. D. Chesswas, 4th edition. Oxford University Press: Nairobi. 1967, p. 94.

Usage notes

• Transcriptions of Mandarin into the Latin script often do not distinguish between the critical tonal differences employed in the Mandarin language, using words such as this one without indication of tone.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /nè/

Verb

ne

1. (trans) want

Alternative forms

• né (obsolete)

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /né/, /ně/

Noun

ne

1. mouth
2. snout
3. edge (of a blade)
4. bite, sting
5. animals at the head of the herd

Usage notes

Immediately precedes the verb. Often found in combination with the synonymous niet or another negating adverb, which is placed elsewhere.

Alternative forms

• en

Descendants

• Dutch: n- (prefix)

Usage notes

• Middle English lacks do-support. Instead, ne is simply used by itself: Puple deien, bot fame ne deieþ ("People die, but reputation does not die").
• Middle English has negative concord, so negatives don't cancel out another, unlike formal English or Latin. ne is often accompanied by other negatives rather than used alone. Double, triple, and quadruple negatives are common: I ne oght no man noght ("I haven't owed anything to anyone," literally "I not owed no one nothing").
• ne usually immediately precedes the verb; compare nought / nat, which usually follows it.

Related terms

• never
• non
• nought

Descendants

• English: ne (obsolete)
• Scots: ne (obsolete)

References

• “ne, adv.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.

Usage notes

• ne can contract with certain words that follow it, such as ne was → nas. This is optional, so forms like ne was are possible.
• ne... ne... is often found in correlative constructions, with the meaning of not... or...; this is comparable to modern English neither... (n)or....

Descendants

• English: ne (obsolete)
• Scots: ne (obsolete)

References

• “ne, conj.(1).”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.
• “ne, conj.(2).”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.

Alternative forms

• n'

Adverb

ne

1. not (used to negate a verb)
   • 1488, Jean Dupré, Lancelot du Lac, page 22:

     Ha ha pourdieu franc chevalier et preux ne me occisez mie

     Ha! For the love of God honest and valiant knight, don't kill me!

   • 1530, François Rabelais, Pantagruel:

     et ne m'advint oncques de mentir ou asseurer chose que ne feust veritable

     It never happened to me to lie or to assure someone of something that wasn't truthful

   • 1562, Henry IV of France, Lettres Missives:

     Catherine de Médicis, ne tarda pas à faire venir auprès de lui, en 1561, sa femme et ses enfants.

     Catherine of Medicis did not hesitate to bring to him, in 1561, his wife and his children

Conjunction

ne

1. Alternative form of ny (“neither; nor”)

Usage notes

• As a second-class pronoun, ne is used as the subject of a sentence when its verb is a second-class one (those verbs are sometimes referred to as adjectives). The personal pronoun ne is also used when governed by any postposition with the exception of arama and supé. Finally, ne is used as a possessive pronoun as well.

Inflection