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How to Say ‘I haven't seen anything’ in French

Je n'ai rien vu

zhuh n ay ree-ehn vew

[zhuh n ay ree-ehn vew]

💬 Usage Tip: Ne ... rien wraps around ai to mean "nothing". In casual speech the ne often vanishes, so you'll also hear j'ai rien vu.

Phrase Breakdown

Je n'ai

zhuh n ay

I have not

"Ne" becomes "n'" before the vowel of "ai". Say it as "zhuh-nay".

Example

Je n'ai pas faim.

I'm not hungry.

Words in this phrase

[zhuh]

Pronoun used by the speaker to identify themselves.

Example

Je suis content.

I am happy.

[n]

not

Shortened form of 'ne' used in negation before a vowel.

Example

Il n'y a plus rien ici.

There is nothing left here anymore.

[ay]

have

Form of 'avoir' used with past participles to make the past tense.

Example

J'ai beaucoup appris grâce à notre discussion.

I learned a lot thanks to our discussion.

rien vu

ree-ehn vew

seen nothing

"Rien" (nothing) sits between the auxiliary and the past participle. It has a nasal ending: "ryan".

Example

Tu n'as rien vu ?

You didn't see anything?

Words in this phrase

rien

[ree-ehn]

nothing / anything (with negation)

With ne… rien, it means “nothing/anything” in a negative sentence: “Don’t tell me anything.”

Example

Ne me raconte rien : je vais le regarder ce soir.

Don’t tell me anything: I’m going to watch it tonight.

[vew]

seen

Past participle of voir, used in tu as vu meaning did you see / have you seen.

Example

Tu as vu le gardien plonger ?

Did you see the goalkeeper dive?

Guides for French learners

Ordering in French: Cafés, Bakeries and Restaurants (with Menu Vocabulary)How to order in French at a café, a bakery and a restaurant: the phrases, the questions staff ask, and the menu and food vocabulary to understand the answers.Hello in French: Greetings, Good Evening and How to Answer "How Are You?"How to say hello in French, when to switch to good evening, how to ask how are you and what to answer, with tu vs vous and native audio.

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