Learn French: Nous errons dans le labyrinthe, mais ce chemin ne va nulle part. - We are wandering in the labyrinth, but this path goes nowhere.

Nous errons dans le labyrinthe, mais ce chemin ne va nulle part.

We are wandering in the labyrinth, but this path goes nowhere.

Breakdown of Nous errons dans le labyrinthe, mais ce chemin ne va nulle part.

mais

but

nous

we / us (object pronoun)

dans

in, inside

not (used before the verb)

Questions & Answers about Nous errons dans le labyrinthe, mais ce chemin ne va nulle part.

How does the negative ne... nulle part work here compared to ne... pas?

It works exactly the same way in this tense: ne goes before the conjugated verb (va) and nulle part goes after it. The most important thing to remember is that nulle part replaces pas. You never say ne va pas nulle part because that would be a double negative.

Does the verb errons mean we are making an error?

No, it is a bit of a false friend! It comes from the verb errer, which means to wander, roam, or stroll aimlessly. While it shares an ancient root with the English word "err" (to make a mistake), in everyday French it refers to physically wandering around.

Why is it ce chemin and not cet chemin?

Chemin (path) is a masculine noun that starts with a consonant, so it takes the standard masculine demonstrative adjective ce (this). You only use cet for masculine nouns that start with a vowel or a silent H, like cet arbre (this tree).

What is the literal meaning of the words in nulle part?

It literally translates to "zero part" or "no share." The word nulle means null, void, or none, and part means a part, piece, or place. Put together, they create the French concept of "nowhere."