French Conversation · Level 11
89 words
French word
ni
Pronunciation
IPA/ni/
Meaning
- conjunctionneither ___ nor ___
Example
Il n'y a ni pain ni beurre.
There is neither bread nor butter.
More examples
Cette histoire n'est ni drôle ni triste.
This story is neither funny nor sad.
Core concept
Two items pass through the same negating gate, and neither enters the statement.
Common phrases
ni l'un ni l'autre
neither one nor the other
ni jour ni nuit
neither day nor night
ni parent ni enfant
neither parent nor child
Similar words
et: Links two or more things and includes them all.
ou: Presents alternatives with a choice between them.
mais: Links a statement to an opposing or contrasting one.
Definition in French
Relie deux éléments dans la négation « ni ... ni ... », indiquant que les deux éléments sont exclus ou faux.
Word origin
French ni descends from Latin nec through Old French and became the conjunction used to coordinate paired negation.
Usage tips
- In standard negation, ni normally follows ne: Il ne veut ni thé ni café; the first ni does not replace ne.