rien
/ʁjɛ̃/
The English word 'nothing' is translated into French as rien. Wiktionary also lists nulle chose.
Meaning: not any thing (pron)
Ways to say it
| French | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| rien | /ʁjɛ̃/ | |
| nulle chose | feminine |
Rien is the standard way to express the concept of not any thing. You can add du tout after it to say 'nothing at all' for emphasis. In a more formal or literary context, you can also use the feminine form nulle chose.
Which one should you use?
Rien is the standard term for 'nothing', while nulle chose is a more formal and literary way to express the same idea.
How does it change in a sentence?
In a standard negative sentence, rien is used with the particle ne to mean 'nothing' or 'not anything' (the structure ne … rien). However, in informal spoken French, the ne particle is often dropped, leaving only rien to express negation.
How do you pronounce it?
/ʁjɛ̃/
Did you know?
- The French word rien is a linguistic survivor from the Latin word 'rem', which actually meant 'a thing' rather than 'nothing'.
- In colloquial French, if you want to say 'nothing' with even more emphasis, you might hear people say que dalle, a slang expression that is much more colorful than the standard rien.
- In French, rien can act as a noun meaning 'a trifle' or 'a small thing'. For example, the expression un rien refers to a tiny amount of something.
Examples in context
- Rien de neuf !That's nothing new.This sentence uses rien.Tatoeba #4578505 by sacredceltic, translation #2251172 by CK
- Il n'a rien vu.He saw nothing.Tatoeba #1445253 by sacredceltic, translation #2870390 by Amastan
- Je ne dis rien.I said nothing.Tatoeba #2031148 by sacredceltic, translation #2030131 by Spamster
- Je n'ai rien à dire.I have nothing to say.
- Il n'y a rien de nouveau ici.There is nothing new here.
- Le néant est un concept philosophique complexe.Nothingness is a complex philosophical concept.
- Je n'ai rien du tout à manger.I have absolutely nothing to eat.
- Il ne se passe rien du tout ici.Nothing at all is happening here.
- J'ai cherché partout, mais je n'ai trouvé que dalle.I searched everywhere, but I found nothing.
- 1902 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Léa and Nathan are sitting in a café.
- LéaTu veux manger quelque chose ?Do you want to eat something?
- NathanNon, je ne veux rien.No, I want nothing.
- LéaTu n'as pas faim ?Are you not hungry?
- NathanSi, mais je n'ai rien dans mon sac.Yes, but I have nothing in my bag.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “nothing” translations and entries rien, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries chose, rien, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
