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La négation at C2 — point, guère, nul

« la negation » — jump to your level:A1A2B1B2C1C2Native

The literary registers: « point », « guère », « nul » — recognise them instantly in print.

Les négations littéraires

« Je ne le connais point » (= pas, archaic/emphatic), « il n’est guère motivé » (= hardly), « nul n’est censé ignorer la loi » (= no one, legal/formal). You’ll meet them in Hugo, in law, in editorials — recognition is the goal, deployment is optional.

La NégationC2
point+guère+nul

💡 = pas · à peine · personne — le registre littéraire.

FRENCH’S COOL · learnfrench.co/resources

🔊 Example sentences

Je ne le connais point.I know him not (literary).
Il n’est guère motivé.He’s hardly motivated.
Nul n’est censé ignorer la loi.Ignorance of the law excuses no one.

💡 Your C2 goal

At C2 this is about mastery of the edge cases and literary or formal uses. You should be able to explain the rule — and break it knowingly for effect.

Feeling shaky? Step back to La Negation at C1. Comfortable? Level up to La Negation at Native.

Il n’osa point répondre.He dared not answer (literary).

✍️ Practice

Il ne mange ___ de viande. (hardly) (literary)

Show answer

guère

___ n’est parfait. (no one, formal) (legal register)

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Nul

Je ne sais ___. (archaic pas) (Hugo-style)

Show answer

point

🎮 Practise

🧩 Sentence builder rebuild the negation

🎮 Practise this with games

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