Published June 2, 2026 — By French teacher David Issokson with native audio by Marie Assel Cambier
Ne… que — Meaning and Pronunciation
Ne… que is a common French expression meaning “only” or “nothing but”. You’ll often see it used in the construction ne + verb + que + word or phrase. It is used to limit something, such as a person, thing, amount, or action. For example, Je n’ai que cinq euros (I only have five euros) or Elle n’aime que la musique classique (She only likes classical music).
IPA pronunciation of ne… que is /nə … kə/ (IPA), which sounds like “nuh … kuh”.
Example Sentences
Je n’ai que cinq euros.
I only have five euros.
Il ne boit que du café.
He only drinks coffee.
Je n’ai qu’un frère.
I only have one brother.
Elle ne fait que travailler.
She does nothing but work.
Nous ne restons que deux jours.
We are only staying for two days.
Il n’aime qu’elle.
He only loves her.
👉 You can hear ne… que in the classic song Dominique by Sœur Sourire (The Singing Nun): Il ne parle que du Bon Dieu (He only speaks of the Good Lord).
Related Words and Expressions
Here are some other words that are closely related to ne… que:
- ne… pas — not
- ne… jamais — never
- ne… rien — nothing
- ne… personne — nobody / no one
- ne… aucun — not any / none
- ne… ni… ni — neither… nor
- ne… guère — hardly / scarcely
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