Question 1

Is there a strict order when combining multiple negative words like plus, jamais, and rien?

Accepted Answer

Yes! When you stack negative words in French, there is a specific hierarchy. Plus almost always comes first, followed by jamais, and then rien. So to say "never anything anymore," the order must be ne... plus jamais rien.

Question 2

How exactly does ne... plus jamais rien break down to mean "never publish anything anymore"?

Accepted Answer

Let's take it piece by piece: ne... plus means "not anymore" or "no longer", ne... jamais means "never", and ne... rien means "nothing" or "not anything". Combined, they merge their meanings without cancelling each other out (unlike double negatives in English). It literally translates to "We publish no longer never nothing," which smoothly translates to "We never publish anything anymore."

Question 3

Where do these three negative words go if the sentence is in the past tense (passé composé)?

Accepted Answer

All three of these specific negative words (plus, jamais, and rien) are short, so they all snuggle tightly between the helping verb and the past participle. In the passé composé, this sentence would be: Nous n'avons plus jamais rien publié sur ces plateformes.

Question 4

Why do we use sur here instead of dans (in) for platforms?

Accepted Answer

Just like in English, French treats digital platforms, websites, and social media networks as surfaces you post "on" rather than spaces you post "inside." You will typically always see sur Internet, sur une plateforme, or sur un site web.

Nous ne publions plus jamais rien sur ces plateformes.

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