# Tu n'es rien que pour moi



## Icetrance

Hello,

Does this mean "You are not just for me?"

Thanks in advance.


----------



## guylearningfrench

I'd read it as 'you are nothing but for me.' but not too familiar with that construction...


----------



## Ally62

I confirm what guilearningfrench said but I would have said in French "tu n'es rien qu'à moi".


----------



## broglet

how about "without me you'd be nothing"


----------



## Aoyama

> how about "without me you'd be nothing"


not quite ...


> I would have said in French "tu n'es rien qu'à moi".


or rather : tu n'appartiens qu'à moi (seul) = you only belong to me .


----------



## broglet

Aoyama said:


> not quite ...
> 
> or rather : tu n'appartiens qu'à moi (seul) = you only belong to me .


Not really, unless this is supposed to be a technical claim about ownership. Otherwise it would be more likely to be something like "you are mine alone" (but this doesn't seem equivalent to what was asked originally)


----------



## broglet

Ally62 said:


> I confirm what guilearningfrench said but I would have said in French "tu n'es rien qu'à moi".


Is this what you think the original author was trying to say?


----------



## Sickduck

I think that the expression that Icetrance is looking for is: you are mine alone (or exclusively), or you are just for me.


----------



## Icetrance

Sickduck said:


> I think that the expression that Icetrance is looking for is: you are mine alone (or exclusively), or you are just for me.



I'm not sure about that translation either.

I think it may be mean: *You only mean something to me.* 

être rien pour moi = to be nothing to me 

n'être rien que pour quelqu'un = to be nothing except to me

In other words, only to me are you valuable.


----------



## Sickduck

No!!! There is no ambiguity or doubt here!

Tu n'es rien que pour moi = You were made for me, you are destined to be mine and mine alone.


----------



## vittel

I second sickduck on this.
There is nothing mean into this expression, it's meant to be sweet: you are mine alone.


----------



## Icetrance

vittel said:


> I second sickduck on this.
> There is nothing mean into this expression, it's meant to be sweet: you are mine alone.




I was originally right, minus the "not". 

n'être rien que pour = to be only just for


Couldn't you also say "Tu n'es plus que pour moi"?


----------



## itka

"tu n'es rien que pour moi" 

What are you discussing about ? This sentence is not french and means nothing in french... When somebody have said these words to me, I'd never known wether he loved me or hate me... Probably, I'd have thought he didn't have learnt french !

You can say : tu n'es rien pour moi = you're nothing to me
or tu es tout pour moi = you're all to me


----------



## Icetrance

itka said:


> "tu n'es rien que pour moi"
> 
> What are you discussing about ? This sentence is not french and means nothing in french... When somebody have said these words to me, I'd never known wether he loved me or hate me... Probably, I'd have thought he didn't have learnt french !
> 
> You can say : tu n'es rien pour moi = you're nothing to me
> or tu es tout pour moi = you're all to me



Exactly, itka!

Ceci semble être écrit par un natif du français (pas sûr à 100%)

Pour moi, ça n'a aucun sens.

You could say: Tu n'es que pour moi
Rien que pour moi  = Just for me

But, "Tu n'es rien que pour moi" semble bien bizarre.


----------



## vittel

euh.. sorry guys, but it does means something!
Now granted, it's not grammatically perfect but I've already heard it between lovers. 
Just imagine, for instance, the guy coming home after work and his girlfriend has been waiting for him and says: "tu n'es rien que pour moi (maintenant)". It is pretty clear, isn't it? ("tu n'es rien qu'à moi" is another possibility).


----------



## juju la frite

This could means "you're my own". A jaleous guy could say that.


----------



## Argyll

You're probably right as to what the intention is, Vittel. But the sentence must be confusing for non-native French speakers, because "rien que" means "only" without the "ne". Combined with "ne ... rien", it means nothing, except hopefully to the loved one.


----------



## Icetrance

Argyll said:


> You're probably right as to what the intention is, Vittel. But the sentence must be confusing for non-native French speakers, because "rien que" means "only" without the "ne". Combined with "ne ... rien", it means nothing, except hopefully to the loved one.


 
Je reconnais que cette phrase n'est pas sans sens, mais quoique qu'on en dise, ce n'est pas du bon français.


----------



## Aoyama

We all got the meaning right :
you belong to me, you're all mine .

Now, is this _correct_ French ? It _is_ , though a bit _childish_ . An adult, however much in love would he be (even _childishly_) would most probably NOT use this way of saying.
Tu n'appartiens qu'à moi / tu es tout(e) à moi would be better (and more credible ...).
Some other (mostly in children talk) uses of *verb + rien que* can be found in phrases like :
il (ne) fait rien que m'embêter etc.


----------



## Icetrance

Aoyama said:


> We all got the meaning right :
> you belong to me, you're all mine .
> 
> Now, is this _correct_ French ? It _is_ , though a bit _childish_ . An adult, however much in love would he be (even _childishly_) would most probably NOT use this way of saying.
> Tu n'appartiens qu'à moi / tu es tout(e) à moi would be better (and more credible ...).
> Some other (mostly in children talk) uses of *verb + rien que* can be found in phrases like :
> il (ne) fait rien que m'embêter etc.



You're right, Aoyama.  I originally had the right meaning, minus the "not" 

The "ne + verb + rien que" is not a grammatically correct construction in French, but it is said.  It's  equivalent the English adverb "only/just". 

I think one could just simply say "Tu n'es que/seulement pour moi." I'm not sure, but "rien" makes  adds a bit more emphasis, no?


----------

