Hello, Aonwa, and welcome to the forum!
"Nor" is a very strange word. I will try to explain.
Please tell me if my explanation does not make sense. I will say it another way.
"Nor" is not quite the opposite of "too" -- although you are correct in thinking that it is a negative.
"Nor" is actually a conjunction like "or," "and," or "but."
I'm sure that sounds crazy, so let me explain:
Nor is used to connect words/phrases/sentences when you want to say that the part coming after
nor is
not true.
HOWEVER -- be careful -- because it is
negative (it says that something is
not true or
not the case), you cannot use it the same way as
and, but, and
or.
In English, "nor" is almost always used in a list with "neither." This is a very special case where English allows a double negative (two negations in the same sentence). For example:
+ I like neither plums nor pears.
+ Same meaning: I don't like plums or pears.
- Incorrect grammar, but used often, and understood to have the same meaning: I like neither plums or pears.
* Wrong: I don't like either plums or pears. ("Either" means "one or the other, not both"; it sounds like you don't know which one it is that you don't like! I guess this could make sense in a very strange situation)
* Wrong: I don't like neither plums or pears. (Double negative/makes no sense)
Another example, using "neither" and "nor" in the subject:
+ Neither she nor I like plums.
+ Same meaning: She and I don't like plums.
- Incorrect grammar, but used often, and understood to have the same meaning: Neither she or I like plums.
* Wrong: Either she nor I like plums. ("Either" means "one or the other, not both"; it sounds like you don't remember whether you like plums! again, I guess it makes sense if you really didn't remember)
* Wrong: Neither she nor I don't like plums. (Double negative/makes no sense)
You can use "neither" and "nor" with a list of actions or verbs, too. "Neither" is in front of the first verb, but after the subject. "Nor" goes in front of the second verb.
+ I neither studied English nor slept on Friday
* I studied neither English nor slept on Friday. (Makes no sense)
Your example uses "nor" by itself, without "neither." This is OK too!
When you use "nor" by itself, it only makes sense if someone has already mentioned something negative.
In your sentence
No, nor me, the speaker is saying the same thing as
No, and also, not me.
If someone asked you "Are you going to the store?", and you want to say no, you cannot answer "Nor me." But if someone said "I did not go to the store," and you want to say that you also did not go to the store, you can say "Nor me."
You can use any other pronoun if the phrase stops at "Nor ___." If you want to add more information, you must add "is." The order of words in the sentence is strange here: "Nor [is] [subject] [predicate]."
+ Nor is Bob a chef.
+ Same meaning: Bob is also not a chef.
* Nor Bob is a chef.
Again, this only makes sense if you or someone else already used "not" or another negation to talk about Bob, or a chef, or someone who cooks.
You can use "nor" by itself in the same way with verbs or actions. It is usually followed by "does" or "can."
+ Nor does Bob cook.
+ Same meaning: Bob also does not cook.
+ Nor can Bob cook.
+ Same meaning: Bob also cannot cook.
* Nor Bob does cook.
* Nor Bob can cook.
Be careful: While you can always make a sentence with "not" that means the same thing as a sentence with "nor,"
you cannot use "nor" in the same way as "not." * Wrong: I like plums nor pears. (Makes no sense!)
+ Right: I like plums. I don't like pears.
+ Right: I like plums, not pears.
+ Right: I like plums, but not pears.
* I nor like plums.
+ I don't like plums.
+ Nor can Bob cook.
* Not can Bob cook.
One last thing:
In older English-language literature, you might see a sentence like "He is very brave, nor has he lost a fight." This means "He is brave, and also, he has not lost a fight." This is a VERY old style of using "nor." You will not hear it when people talk, and you will not see it in writing unless the writing is old.
Confused? It's OK!
Please ask if you need more help! And again, please tell me if my explanation does not make sense. I will say it another way.
The good news is that "nor" is not a common word in English. A lot of English speakers avoid it because they don't know how to use it!
It is formal and sounds "old-fashioned" (it sounds like a word people used a very long time ago). Most people do not use it when they talk. People sometimes use it when they write, or when they talk in formal situations.
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