Yap.Town

je n'en avais pas

I didn't have any

→ je
phrase Rare #34,434
I didn't have any A common pattern meaning “I didn't have any” or “I didn't have it,” with en replacing something introduced with de or referring to an understood quantity or thing. In expressions such as je n'en avais pas envie, it means “I didn't feel like it.”
FR: Je voulais sortir, mais je n'en avais pas le temps.
EN: I wanted to go out, but I didn't have time.

Je n'en avais pas la moindre idée.

I had absolutely no idea.

— Rebecca (1940)

Et si je n'en avais pas ?

What if I didn’t have any?

— Avengers (2012)

Bien sûr, avant je n'en avais pas besoin.

Of course, I didn't need one before.

— Ip Man (2008)

Je n'en avais pas la moindre intention.

I had no intention of doing so.

J'ai réalisé que même si je voulais manger, je n'en avais pas le temps.

I realized that even though I wanted to eat, I didn't have time.

Je n'en avais pas conscience.

I wasn't aware of it.

Je n'en avais pas, mais ma thèse portait sur l'économie de l'Amérique Latine.

I didn’t have one, but my thesis was on the economy of Latin America.

— Rushmore (1998)

Je n'en avais pas envie.

I didn't want to.