personne n'avait

nobody had

→ personne
phrase Rare #33,828
nobody had Used to say that no one had done or experienced something. The verb that follows completes the idea.
FR: Personne n'avait compris la question.
EN: Nobody had understood the question.

On craignait alors Sultana, bandit légendaire, que personne n'avait vu.

Back then, people were afraid of Sultana, a legendary bandit no one had ever seen.

— Gangs of Wasseypur : 1ère partie (2012)

Personne n'avait jamais pensé à vendre de la glace auparavant.

No one had ever thought of selling ice cream before.

Personne n'avait jamais vu ça, tu parles !

No one had ever seen anything like it, you bet!

— Shower (1999)

Personne n'avait pensé à ça !

No one had thought of that!

— Enquête sur un citoyen au-dessus de tout soupçon (1970)

Personne n'avait dormi dans les draps.

No one had slept in the sheets.

— Titanic (1997)

Personne n'avait remarqué ?

Had no one noticed?

— Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood (2019)

Personne n'avait sonné chez lui.

No one had rung his doorbell.

Personne n'avait jamais réussi à finir mes travers de porc !

No one had ever managed to finish my ribs!

— Salé, Sucré (1994)

Mais personne n'avait rien vu.

But no one had seen anything.

— La Cité de Dieu (2002)

Voilà la solution que personne n'avait vue.

Here is the solution that no one had seen.

Nos savants ont fait ce que personne n'avait fait.

Our scientists did what no one had done before.

— Jurassic Park (1993)