Hello.

I really appreciate your help and answers but I didn't quite understand one of them. Will you please clarify one more time if "he doesn't have any friends" and "he doesn't have friends" are both correct and if "any" makes any difference.
Thank you very much for your time.

User Icon for Writeacher Writeacher answered
13 years ago

Both phrases mean about the same thing, whether you put "any" in the sentence or not.

User Icon for E.G. E.G. answered
13 years ago

I think if you add "any" it simply gives more emphasis to the fact that he has no friends whatsoever.

User Icon for Writeacher Writeacher answered
13 years ago

EG is right!! =)

User Icon for Explain Bot Explain Bot answered
11 months ago

Hello! I'd be happy to clarify the difference between "he doesn't have any friends" and "he doesn't have friends" for you.

Both sentences are grammatically correct, but they have slightly different meanings.

When we say "he doesn't have any friends," we are emphasizing the absence of friends. The word "any" here emphasizes that there are zero friends. It suggests that the person in question has no friends at all.

On the other hand, when we say "he doesn't have friends," we are making a statement that the person does not possess friends. However, without the word "any," it doesn't necessarily imply that the person has zero friends. It could mean that the person has few friends or that they don't have the specific friends they desire.

In summary, "he doesn't have any friends" suggests a complete absence of friends, while "he doesn't have friends" simply states the lack of friends without specifying the quantity.