Je n’ai aucune idée de ce que le professeur va demander demain.

In French, negative expressions are usually built with ne … + another negative word.

Here, the pattern is:

• ne (or n’ before a vowel sound)
• • aucune (no / not any)

So:

• Je n’ai aucune idée = literally “I don’t have any idea,” but idiomatically “I have no idea.”

This is not considered a “double negative” the way it would be in standard English; it’s just how French negation works:

• ne … pas → not
• ne … jamais → never
• ne … plus → no longer
• ne … aucune → no / not any

Leaving out the ne is very common in informal spoken French (“J’ai aucune idée…”), but in standard written French, you normally keep both parts: ne + aucune.

Aucun / aucune is an adjective and has to agree in gender and number with the noun:

• idée is feminine singular, so you must use aucune (feminine singular).

• If the noun were masculine singular, you’d use aucun:

  • aucun problème (no problem)
  • aucune idée (no idea)

There is almost never a plural with aucun(e); it already implies zero.

You can say Je n’ai pas d’idée, but:

• Je n’ai aucune idée is the standard idiomatic way to say “I have no idea.”
• Je n’ai pas d’idée is grammatically fine, but it sounds weaker or more literal, like “I don’t have (any) idea(s)” in a more neutral sense, not the strong “no clue at all.”

For “I have absolutely no idea (what the teacher will ask),” the natural choice is:

• Je n’ai aucune idée de ce que…

In French, idée is followed by de when you say “idea of something”:

• une idée de quelque chose = an idea of something
• Je n’ai aucune idée de ce que… = I have no idea of what…

You can’t drop the de, because it belongs to the expression idée de:

• ✅ J’ai une idée de ce qu’il veut dire.
• ✅ Je n’ai aucune idée de ce que le professeur va demander.
• ❌ Je n’ai aucune idée ce que le professeur va demander. (incorrect)

All three mean something like “what” / “that which”, but they’re used differently:

1. ce que

   • Used when “what” is the direct object of the verb that follows.
   • In your sentence:
     
     • ce que le professeur va demander
     • “what the teacher is going to ask”
     • “what” is what the teacher will ask → direct object → ce que.

2. ce qui

   • Used when “what” is the subject of the verb.
   • Example:
     
     • Je ne comprends pas ce qui se passe.
     • I don’t understand what is happening.
     • “what” = the thing that is happening → subject → ce qui.

3. ce dont

   • Used when “what” is the object of a verb that takes de.
   • Example:
     
     • Je n’ai aucune idée de ce dont il parle.
     • I have no idea what he’s talking about.
     • verb: parler de (to talk about) → needs dont.

In your sentence, “what” is the thing the teacher is going to ask, so ce que is correct.

French has two common ways to express “to ask (a question)”:

1. demander (quelque chose)

   • literally “to ask (something)”
   • in your sentence, it’s understood as “ask (a question)”:
     
     • ce que le professeur va demander = what the teacher is going to ask.

2. poser une question (à quelqu’un)

   • literally “to pose a question (to someone)”
   • more explicit:
     
     • Je me demande quelle question le professeur va poser demain.
       = I wonder what question the teacher will ask tomorrow.

Both are fine, but:

• demander is often used without explicitly mentioning “une question”.
• poser une question must include the word question.

You can’t say poser by itself here:

• ❌ ce que le professeur va poser (feels incomplete, like “what the teacher will put/lay down”)
• ✅ ce que le professeur va demander

Both are future:

• va demander = near future (aller + infinitive)
• demandera = simple future

In this sentence:

• ce que le professeur va demander demain
• ce que le professeur demandera demain

Both are grammatically correct. The nuance is small:

• va demander often sounds a bit more immediate / conversational.
• demandera can sound slightly more formal or neutral.

In everyday speech, aller + infinitive (va demander) is very common to talk about the future.

No, that’s not standard French. You need the de:

• ✅ Je n’ai aucune idée de ce que le professeur va demander demain.
• ❌ Je n’ai aucune idée ce que le professeur va demander demain.

As mentioned earlier, idée normally uses de to link to the content of the idea:

• une idée de ce que…
• une idée de la réponse
• une idée de ce qui s’est passé

In informal spoken French, many people do drop the ne:

• J’ai aucune idée de ce que le prof va demander demain.

This is very common in everyday conversation, movies, etc.

However:

• In standard written French, you should keep ne:
  
  • Je n’ai aucune idée de ce que le professeur va demander demain.
• In exams, homework, formal emails, etc., always include the full negation (ne … aucune).

French and English don’t always use possessives the same way.

In English, “the professor” and “my professor” feel quite different.
In French:

• le professeur can refer to the teacher we both know / the one at issue, even if it is “my” teacher.
• Often, context tells you whose teacher it is.

So:

• Je n’ai aucune idée de ce que le professeur va demander demain.
  → naturally understood as “I have no idea what (the) professor / my teacher is going to ask tomorrow,” depending on context.

You can say mon professeur if you want to stress the possession:

• Je n’ai aucune idée de ce que mon professeur va demander demain.

Both are correct; le professeur is just more neutral and very common.

Both word orders are possible and correct:

• ce que le professeur va demander
• ce que va demander le professeur

Differences:

• ce que le professeur va demander
  
  • more neutral, very common
• ce que va demander le professeur
  
  • slightly more formal or stylistic; can sound a bit more “literary” or emphatic, but is also used in speech.

In everyday conversation, learners are safest using:

• ce que le professeur va demander

Demain (tomorrow) is quite flexible. Some natural options:

• Je n’ai aucune idée de ce que le professeur va demander demain.
• Je n’ai aucune idée de ce que le professeur va demander, demain. (comma adds a slight pause/emphasis)
• Demain, je n’ai aucune idée de ce que le professeur va demander. (strong emphasis on “tomorrow”)

You normally don’t put it inside the verb phrase between va and demander:

• ❌ de ce que le professeur va demain demander (sounds very odd)

n’ai is just ne + ai with elision:

• ne = first part of the negation
• ai = 1st person singular of avoir in the present (je ai → j’ai)

Because ne is followed by a word starting with a vowel sound (ai), ne shortens to n’:

• ne ai → n’ai

So the full structure is:

• Je n’ + ai + aucune idée
• Je n’ai aucune idée…

This same contraction happens with many verbs:

• Je n’aime pas… (ne + aime)
• Je n’écoute jamais… (ne + écoute)
• Je n’ai rien compris. (ne + ai)