Ne…que means only: move que to change the limit

Edited by Chris Lee · Updated · About the library

See how ne…que means only, how que changes focus, and why du and des stay. Compare examples and test the exact limit in seven questions.

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In short

Ne…que means “only”: Je n’ai que deux minutes means I have only two minutes. Put que immediately before the part you limit. The sentence still affirms that part: Je ne travaille que le lundi says I work on Mondays.

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A quiet French breakfast table with a single white teapot, a cup of tea and loose tea in a plain open bowl, no coffee or other drinks.
The simple tea setting suggests je ne bois que du thé. Illustration: Atelier

What does ne… que mean in French?

Read the whole expression
FrenchEnglishWhat it tells you
Je n’ai que deux questions.I have only two questions.There are two; that is the limit.
Je n’ai pas de questions.I have no questions.There are none.
Je n’ai pas que deux questions.I have more than just two questions.The limit of two is rejected.

Move que to change the focus

Je ne réponds qu’à Nora le matin.I reply only to Nora in the morning.

Focus: the recipient: Nora

Je ne réponds qu’à Nora le matin.
I reply only to Nora in the morning.

Je ne réponds à Nora que le matin.I reply to Nora only in the morning.

Focus: the time: the morning

Je ne réponds à Nora que le matin.
I reply to Nora only in the morning.

Keep a needed preposition inside the limited phrase: qu’à Nora, que pour toi, que dans ce cas. Before a vowel, que becomes qu’. In a compound tense, ne goes before the auxiliary, while que stays before the limit: Je n’ai répondu qu’à Nora.

Do you keep the article after ne… que?

Only something still means something is present
RestrictionNegative absence
Je ne bois que du thé.Je ne bois pas de thé.
Nous n’avons que des questions.Nous n’avons pas de questions.
Elle n’a qu’une réponse.Elle n’a pas de réponse.

La cantine ne jette plus que quatre kilos de déchets par semaine.

The canteen now throws away only four kilos of waste a week.

Ne…plus que presents a reduced amount remaining. Four kilos are still thrown away.

Choose the limited phrase

Question 1No account needed
Choose “only on Thursdays”.Je ne suis libre ___.

Choose one answer.

Answer and explanation

que le jeudi. Que le jeudi places the restriction directly before the day.

Question 2No account needed
Choose “only to Léa”.Elle ne parle ___.

Choose one answer.

Answer and explanation

qu’à Léa. Parler à keeps its preposition, and que elides before à.

Question 3No account needed
Choose “only questions”.Nous n’avons ___.

Choose one answer.

Answer and explanation

que des questions. Restriction keeps des: the questions are present.

Question 4No account needed
Choose “only five minutes left”.Il ne reste plus ___.

Choose one answer.

Answer and explanation

que cinq minutes. Ne…plus que cinq minutes gives the amount of time remaining.

Question 5No account needed
What does the sentence say?Il ne reste plus que trois places.

Choose one answer.

Answer and explanation

Only three seats remain.. Ne…plus que gives the small amount remaining: three seats.

Question 6No account needed
Choose “I work only on Fridays”.

Choose one answer.

Answer and explanation

Je ne travaille que le vendredi.. Que le vendredi limits the working day to Fridays.

Question 7No account needed
Choose “I drink only coffee”.

Choose one answer.

Answer and explanation

Je ne bois que du café.. Restriction keeps the ordinary partitive du. The coffee is still what the speaker drinks.

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