PrepMyFrench
PrepMyFrench
Also known as: French only construction · restriction in French · ne que
Ne...que is a French restrictive structure meaning only. It is not true negation, even though it uses ne. The que is placed before the restricted element: je ne bois que de l'eau means I drink only water.
Because ne...que restricts rather than negates, article changes do not follow ordinary negative rules. Compare je n'ai pas de temps with je n'ai que du temps.
Ne...que lets candidates express limitation precisely and is useful in arguments, comparisons, and nuanced oral responses.
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