Learn Hardcore Dutch: Vandaag heb ik noch energie noch zin om naar de sportschool te gaan. - Today I have neither energy nor the desire to go to the gym.

Ik drink noch koffie noch thee. = I drink neither coffee nor tea. Do not add niet in these structures; noch ... noch already provides the negation.

Is noch ... noch common in everyday speech?

It’s understood everywhere but feels a bit formal or emphatic. In everyday speech people often say:

Ik heb geen energie en geen zin.
Ik heb geen energie of zin. (colloquial; commonly understood as “neither energy nor desire”)
Ik heb geen energie, en al helemaal geen zin. (very natural, informal emphasis)

Can I mix geen with noch, like geen energie noch zin?

Avoid mixing. Keep the structure parallel:

Good: noch energie noch zin
Good: geen energie en geen zin
Not idiomatic: geen energie noch zin

Why is it Vandaag heb ik and not Vandaag ik heb?

Dutch main clauses follow the V2 (verb-second) rule. If something other than the subject (here Vandaag) stands first, the finite verb (heb) must come second, and the subject (ik) follows it: Vandaag heb ik ...

Can I put vandaag later in the sentence?

Yes. Word order options with slight differences in emphasis:

Vandaag heb ik ... (emphasizes “today” as the topic)
Ik heb vandaag ... (neutral, very common) Both are correct.

Why do we need om ... te in zin om naar de sportschool te gaan?

The expression is zin hebben om te + infinitive to express wanting/feeling like doing something:

Ik heb zin om te slapen. You cannot drop om here. Some other verbs take just te (e.g., proberen te), but zin hebben requires om te before the verb.

What’s the difference between zin hebben om and zin hebben in?

zin hebben om + te + verb: feel like doing something
- Ik heb zin om naar buiten te gaan.
zin hebben in + noun: feel like having/doing a thing or activity named as a noun
- Ik heb zin in pizza. Do not say zin in om te; choose one pattern.

Why naar the gym and not another preposition?

Use naar to indicate movement toward a place: naar de sportschool gaan. Use in for location inside: Ik ben in de sportschool.

Is sportschool the usual word? What about fitness or gym?

Netherlands: de sportschool is very common; de gym is also used informally.
Belgium: de fitness (or naar de fitness) is very common. Note: gym can also mean PE class in school, depending on context.

Why are there no articles with energie and zin here?

They’re indefinite, abstract/mass nouns in this context, so no article is needed: noch energie noch zin. You could add definites for a very specific reference or emphasis, e.g., noch de energie noch de zin, but that’s more marked/formal.

How do I pronounce noch and the sch in sportschool?

noch: the ch is a harsh, voiceless throaty sound (like the end of Scottish “loch”), not like English “ch”.
sportschool: sch is pronounced as s
- that same throaty sound; not like English “sh”. Primary stress is on the first syllable: SPORT-school.

Could I say Vandaag heb ik niet de energie of de zin om ...?

Yes, it’s possible. It slightly shifts the nuance to “I don’t have the particular energy or the desire (needed) to ...”. It’s fine, but geen ... (en) geen ... or noch ... noch are simpler and more neutral.

Do I need any commas in this sentence?

No. No comma between the noch items, and no comma before the om te clause. The om te clause is tightly linked to zin.

Can I switch the order to noch zin noch energie?

Yes. Vandaag heb ik noch zin noch energie om ... is equally correct. Order can reflect what you want to emphasize first.

How do I extend noch to more than two items?

Repeat noch before each item:

Ik heb vandaag noch tijd, noch energie, noch zin om te sporten.

Is nog the same as noch?

No. nog means “still/yet” or “more/another” (e.g., nog steeds, nog een). noch means “neither/nor.” They are unrelated in meaning and not interchangeable.