personne
Il n'y a personne dans la pièce.
There's no one in the room.
a human being; an individual
Chaque personne a droit à la dignité.
Every person has the right to dignity.
C'est une personne très gentille.
She/he is a very kind person.
Used for both men and women; no gender distinction.
nobody; no one (as a pronoun)
Personne ne sait la réponse.
No one knows the answer.
Il n'y a personne ici.
There's no one here.
Requires negation (ne...pas, ne...rien, etc.) in sentences.
Collocations
Synonyms
Pro Tip
Negation with 'personne'
Remember that 'personne' as a pronoun requires 'ne' in negation: 'Personne ne vient' = 'No one is coming'. Omitting 'ne' is considered incorrect in standard French.
Gold Rule
Distinguish 'personne' as noun vs pronoun
As a noun, 'personne' means 'person' (e.g., 'une personne'). As a pronoun, it means 'nobody' and requires negation (e.g., 'Personne ne sait').
Word Origin
From Old French *personne*, from Latin *persona* ('mask, character, person'), possibly via Etruscan *phersu*.
Usage Notes
In modern French, 'personne' is used for both singular and plural contexts (e.g., 'les personnes' = 'people'). The plural form is more common in formal contexts.