Breakdown of Elle est intolérante à l'arachide et n'en mange jamais.
être
to be
elle
she
et
and
ne
not (used before the verb)
à
at / to / in (general locations) / about (what one thinks about / reacts to)
manger
to eat
jamais
never / ever
le
him, it (masculine direct object pronoun)
en
of it / of them (quantity)
l'arachide
the peanut (f)
intolérant
intolerant
Questions & Answers about Elle est intolérante à l'arachide et n'en mange jamais.
Why is l'arachide singular in French when the English translation says "peanuts"?
In French, it is common to use a singular noun with a definite article to refer to a general substance or category. L'arachide refers to the peanut as an ingredient or crop. While you could say aux arachides, using the singular à l'arachide emphasizes the allergen substance itself, similar to how medical contexts in English might say "a peanut allergy."
Why do we use the pronoun en in n'en mange jamais instead of les?
The pronoun en replaces a noun introduced by de (including partitive articles like du, de la, or des). Because you eat "some" of an ingredient in French (as in manger de l'arachide), you must use en to say "eats them" or "eats any." If you used les, it would specifically mean she doesn't eat the specific peanuts previously mentioned, rather than peanuts in general.
What is the word order rule for the negation ne ... jamais and the pronoun en?
In a negative sentence with an object pronoun, the ne (or n') always goes right before the pronoun, while the second part of the negation (such as jamais, pas, or plus) goes immediately after the conjugated verb. This gives us the strict sequence: n' + pronoun (en) + verb (mange) + jamais.
What is the difference between l'arachide and la cacahuète?
Both words translate to "peanut," but they are used in slightly different contexts. L'arachide is the more formal, botanical, or agricultural term, which is why it is used on food allergy labels and medical diagnoses. La cacahuète is the everyday conversational term you use when talking about the roasted nut you eat as a snack.
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