Ne...Personne: Saying 'Nobody' or 'No One'
When no person is involved — and why its placement differs from rien
Category: Negation
The Rule
Ne...personne means 'nobody/no one.' Unlike rien, personne goes AFTER the past participle in compound tenses. Personne can also be the subject: Personne ne sait.
Why This Matters
English speakers might expect personne to behave exactly like rien, but there's a critical difference in compound tenses: rien goes between the auxiliary and participle (n'ai rien vu), while personne goes after the participle (n'ai vu personne). This is because personne represents a person — a more 'substantial' element that comes at the end.
Examples
• Je ne connais personne ici. — "I don't know anyone here." [personne as object] • Personne ne m'a appelé. — "Nobody called me." [personne as subject — Personne + ne + verb] • Je n'ai vu personne. — "I didn't see anyone." [Passé composé: personne AFTER the participle] • Il ne parle à personne. — "He doesn't talk to anyone." [personne with preposition]
Common Mistakes
❌ Je n'ai personne vu. ✅ Je n'ai vu personne. → Unlike rien, personne goes AFTER the past participle, not between auxiliary and participle. ❌ Ne personne est venu. ✅ Personne n'est venu. → When personne is the subject, the order is: Personne + ne + verb. ❌ Je ne connais pas personne. ✅ Je ne connais personne. → Personne replaces pas. Don't use both together.
Quick Tip
Remember: rien is small and fits between auxiliary and participle. Personne is a whole person and needs more space — it goes at the end, after the participle.
Remember: rien is small and fits between auxiliary and participle. Personne is a whole person and needs more space — it goes at the end, after the participle.
Examples
Common Mistakes
Incorrect: Je n'ai personne vu. → Correct: Je n'ai vu personne.. Unlike rien, personne goes AFTER the past participle, not between auxiliary and participle.
Incorrect: Ne personne est venu. → Correct: Personne n'est venu.. When personne is the subject, the order is: Personne + ne + verb.
Incorrect: Je ne connais pas personne. → Correct: Je ne connais personne.. Personne replaces pas. Don't use both together.
Quiz
Where does personne go in the passé composé?