"je n'ai rien dit" vs "j'ai rien dit" - French Language2024-03-29T10:58:55Zhttp://www.forum.french-linguistics.co.uk/forum/topics/je-n-ai-rien-dit-vs-j-ai-rien-dit?commentId=3179028%3AComment%3A91662&x=1&feed=yes&xn_auth=noHi all,
Merci beaucoup! :)…tag:www.forum.french-linguistics.co.uk,2012-07-22:3179028:Comment:916622012-07-22T16:17:42.957ZTinyturtlehttp://www.forum.french-linguistics.co.uk/profile/Tinyturtle
<p>Hi all,</p>
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<p>Merci beaucoup! :)</p>
<p></p>
<p>Your explanations are very helpful!</p>
<p>Hi all,</p>
<p></p>
<p>Merci beaucoup! :)</p>
<p></p>
<p>Your explanations are very helpful!</p> The difference is roughly lik…tag:www.forum.french-linguistics.co.uk,2012-07-21:3179028:Comment:915582012-07-21T11:38:39.571ZNeil Coffeyhttp://www.forum.french-linguistics.co.uk/profile/NeilCoffey
<p>The difference is <em>roughly</em> like the difference between "I have not done anything" and "I haven't done anything/nothing"-- in other words, it's a difference of formality. Dropping the "ne" is extremely common in everyday speech (in everyday speech, something in the order of 50%-90% of negatives don't have the "ne", depending on factors such as social class, the specific context etc).</p>
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<p>However, a difference between dropping the "ne" in French and the situation of using…</p>
<p>The difference is <em>roughly</em> like the difference between "I have not done anything" and "I haven't done anything/nothing"-- in other words, it's a difference of formality. Dropping the "ne" is extremely common in everyday speech (in everyday speech, something in the order of 50%-90% of negatives don't have the "ne", depending on factors such as social class, the specific context etc).</p>
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<p>However, a difference between dropping the "ne" in French and the situation of using contractions in English, is that in English it is common and acceptable to use contractions in relatively formal contexts and in various types of writing.</p>
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<p>In French, it still remains the norm to use "ne" in most styles of writing (except where you're deliberately trying to mimic speech) and in "careful" styles of speech.</p> The second phrase is short fo…tag:www.forum.french-linguistics.co.uk,2012-07-21:3179028:Comment:917362012-07-21T07:59:34.180ZGeorge Hunthttp://www.forum.french-linguistics.co.uk/profile/GEORDIEHOUND
<p>The second phrase is short for the first. The "ne" has been dropped but the meanng is the same.</p>
<p>The second phrase is short for the first. The "ne" has been dropped but the meanng is the same.</p>