French · Chapter 16 · Lesson 8 · Grammar primer
Negation beyond pas: ne... que, ni... ni, aucun
ne... que for 'only' (and why it isn't a true negative), ni... ni for 'neither... nor' with its dropped articles, aucun(e) always singular, nulle part, and where each piece lands in the passe compose.
The short version
Ne... que is not a negative at all
Despite the ne, ne... que means only, and it restricts rather than negates. That is why the article survives it: je ne bois que de l'eau, not que d'eau. The que clamps onto whatever follows, so moving it moves the meaning: only vegetables versus only in the evening.
Je ne bois que de l'eau.
Where the negative lands in the passé composé
The second tier splits in two. The short adverb-like negatives tuck inside, between the auxiliary and the participle: je n'ai rien dit, je n'ai jamais vu. The noun-like ones trail the participle: je n'ai vu personne, je n'ai bu que de l'eau, je ne suis allé nulle part.
Je n'ai vu personne.
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