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Ne…jamais: nine questions on never in French

Edited by Chris Lee · Updated · About the library

Practise never, hardly ever and ever in French with nine questions on habits, experience, word order and the expression si jamais.

In short

Ne…jamais means “never”: Je ne publie jamais de photos. Put jamais after the conjugated verb, or after the auxiliary in a compound tense: Je n’ai jamais utilisé cette application.

Yellow the idea to rememberBlue French to learn

A woman relaxes with a cup in a French garden beside a closed laptop and phone.
Ne jamais can describe a firm boundary around Sunday work. Illustration: Atelier

Je ne réponds jamais le dimanche.I never reply on Sundays.

Focus: Zero replies on Sundays.

Je réponds le lundi.
I reply on Mondays.

Je ne réponds presque jamais le dimanche.I hardly ever reply on Sundays.

Focus: Very few Sunday replies.

Parfois, je réponds à un message urgent.
Sometimes I reply to an urgent message.

Je ne réponds plus le dimanche.I no longer reply on Sundays.

Focus: Sunday replies used to happen and have stopped.

Avant, je répondais tous les jours.
I used to reply every day.

Read the time phrase as well as the negative. Pendant ces vacances, je n’ai jamais consulté mes messages describes those holidays. For experience up to now, Je n’ai jamais utilisé ce logiciel says you have never used that software. Both use jamais after the auxiliary.

  1. Question 1No account needed
    Complete “I never post photos”.Je ne publie ___ de photos.

    Choose one answer.

    Answer and explanation

    jamais. Ne…jamais gives “never” directly. The other choices add an extra negative word or an “again” meaning.

  2. Question 2No account needed
    Choose the correct past-tense order.

    Choose one answer.

    Answer and explanation

    Elle n’a jamais lu ce message.. In the compound tense, jamais follows a and precedes lu.

  3. Question 3No account needed
    You reply on Sundays once or twice a year. Which means “hardly ever”?

    Choose one answer.

    Answer and explanation

    ne…presque jamais. Presque jamais allows a few occasions; jamais alone gives zero occasions.

  4. Question 4No account needed
    You used to post daily, but have stopped. Choose “no longer”.

    Choose one answer.

    Answer and explanation

    Je ne publie plus.. Plus marks the end of the previous habit; jamais expresses zero occasions.

  5. Question 5No account needed
    Place the object pronoun correctly.

    Choose one answer.

    Answer and explanation

    Je ne lui réponds jamais.. Lui stays before réponds, with ne before the pronoun.

  6. Question 6No account needed
    What period does this statement cover?Pendant ce week-end, nous n’avons jamais utilisé nos téléphones.

    Choose one answer.

    Answer and explanation

    The weekend just mentioned.. Pendant ce week-end limits the statement to that particular weekend.

  7. Question 7No account needed
    In Si jamais tu changes d’avis, appelle-moi, what does jamais mean?

    Choose one answer.

    Answer and explanation

    ever. Si jamais means “if ever” here: the sentence offers a possible future situation.

  8. Question 8No account needed
    Choose “not yet”.

    Choose one answer.

    Answer and explanation

    Je n’ai pas encore lu ce livre.. Pas encore means “not yet”; it is useful when reading the book is still planned.

  9. Question 9No account needed
    Choose the complete written negative.

    Choose one answer.

    Answer and explanation

    Je n’oublie jamais ton anniversaire.. Elide ne to n’ before oublie. Keep the conjugated verb rather than the infinitive.

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