Question

Updated on 20 Apr 2023

Deleted user

28 Apr 2015

Question about French (France)

What is the difference between "C'est vraiment dommage que tu n'aies pas pu rester en France." and "C'est vraiment dommage que tu n'aies pu rester en France." and "C'est vraiment dommage que tu n'aies pu rester en France. (Dans un sense positif ?)" ?Feel free to just provide example sentences.

I always wonder this form of sentence in French: "ne" without "pas".

The first sentence, I have no problem understanding it. Because it has both "ne" and "pas". It is a negation. "You couldn't stay in France."

But the second one and the third one lack "pas".

My teacher told me that these forms with "ne" but without "pas" can mean both positive and negative. I still don't understand that the same form can be both positive and negative. Is that true? Is it really only left to the listener to guess from the context (which, in this case is clear because this sentence was from my friend who misses me in France. Fortunately. But I'm not sure if I can tell in other situations.) ?

Answers

ruishiren

28 Apr 2015

French (France)

Hem, your teacher seems to like making things complicated.

They're both negative sentences, I can't think of any exemple where the form "ne... pas" is positive.

The only difference between "ne... pas" and "ne" only is a matter of style : "ne... pas" is spoken style, "ne" only is written style.

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jiojio

28 Apr 2015

French (France)

Sometimes, when there is only the "ne", it is called "ne explétif", there is no meaning of negation (especially with fear, precaution).
Ex.: Je crains qu'il ne pleuve.
ウィキペディアでこの虚辞の「ne」について、ページがあります。
https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/虚辞

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Deleted user

28 Apr 2015

おぉ！日本語での解説が！ありがとうございます！
Mais le ne explétif, c'est impossible. Je n'ai pas confiance de pouvoir distinguer les deux dans la conversation ni dans le texte T_T

jiojio

28 Apr 2015

French (France)

So in your second sentence, the "ne" is not expletive and the meaning of the subordinate proposition is negative.

And when your teacher says the "ne" can be positive, it is for the "ne explétif".

A sentence can't have both meanings positive and negative...

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jiojio

28 Apr 2015

French (France)

The positive meaning (ne explétif) is found after just some verbs of fear, precaution: craindre que, éviter que, avoir peur que...

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What is the difference between "C'est vraiment dommage que tu n'aies pas pu rester en France." and "C'est vraiment dommage que tu n'aies pu rester en France." and "C'est vraiment dommage que tu n'aies pu rester en France. (Dans un sense positif ?)" ?

What is the difference between "C'est vraiment dommage que tu n'aies pas pu rester en France." and "C'est vraiment dommage que tu n'aies pu rester en France." and "C'est vraiment dommage que tu n'aies pu rester en France. (Dans un sense positif ?)" ?Feel free to just provide example sentences.

Hem, your teacher seems to like making things complicated.They're both negative sentences, I can't think of any exemple where the form "ne... pas" is positive.The only difference between "ne... pas" and "ne" only is a matter of style : "ne... pas" is spoken style, "ne" only is written style.

Sometimes, when there is only the "ne", it is called "ne explétif", there is no meaning of negation (especially with fear, precaution).Ex.: Je crains qu'il ne pleuve.ウィキペディアでこの虚辞の「ne」について、ページがあります。https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/虚辞

おぉ！日本語での解説が！ありがとうございます！Mais le ne explétif, c'est impossible. Je n'ai pas confiance de pouvoir distinguer les deux dans la conversation ni dans le texte T_T

So in your second sentence, the "ne" is not expletive and the meaning of the subordinate proposition is negative.And when your teacher says the "ne" can be positive, it is for the "ne explétif".A sentence can't have both meanings positive and negative...

The positive meaning (ne explétif) is found after just some verbs of fear, precaution: craindre que, éviter que, avoir peur que...

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Hem, your teacher seems to like making things complicated.

They're both negative sentences, I can't think of any exemple where the form "ne... pas" is positive.

The only difference between "ne... pas" and "ne" only is a matter of style : "ne... pas" is spoken style, "ne" only is written style.

Sometimes, when there is only the "ne", it is called "ne explétif", there is no meaning of negation (especially with fear, precaution).
Ex.: Je crains qu'il ne pleuve.
ウィキペディアでこの虚辞の「ne」について、ページがあります。
https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/虚辞

おぉ！日本語での解説が！ありがとうございます！
Mais le ne explétif, c'est impossible. Je n'ai pas confiance de pouvoir distinguer les deux dans la conversation ni dans le texte T_T

So in your second sentence, the "ne" is not expletive and the meaning of the subordinate proposition is negative.

And when your teacher says the "ne" can be positive, it is for the "ne explétif".

A sentence can't have both meanings positive and negative...