Je ne veux ni thé ni café ce matin.

I want neither tea nor coffee this morning.

Breakdown of Je ne veux ni thé ni café ce matin.

• je: I
• vouloir: to want
• le café: the coffee
• le thé: the tea
• ne ... ni ... ni: neither ... nor
• ce matin: this morning

Questions & Answers about Je ne veux ni thé ni café ce matin.

Why isn’t there a pas after veux?

Because the pair ni… ni… provides the negation by itself. With structures like ne… ni… ni…, you do not add pas.

• Correct: Je ne veux ni thé ni café.
• Incorrect: Je ne veux pas ni thé ni café.

Why are there no articles before thé and café?

With ni… ni…, indefinite and partitive articles (un/une/du/de la/des) are typically dropped:

• Je ne veux ni thé ni café.

You will also hear/see a variant that keeps de before each noun, especially in careful or formal style or when the noun is modified:

• Je ne veux ni de thé ni de café. (also correct)
• If there’s an adjective, use de: Je ne veux ni de bon thé ni de mauvais café.

Don’t mix the patterns inside the same sentence: avoid ni de thé ni café.

Can I refer to specific, identified items?

Yes—keep the definite article:

• Je ne veux ni le thé ni le café (que tu proposes). = I don’t want that specific tea or coffee.

Is dropping ne OK in speech?

Yes in informal speech many people drop ne:

• Informal: Je veux ni thé ni café ce matin.
• Very common alternative: Je veux pas de thé ni de café (ce matin). Use the full ne in writing and formal contexts.

Can I put ce matin somewhere else?

Yes. Common options:

• Ce matin, je ne veux ni thé ni café. (fronted time phrase)
• Je ne veux ni thé ni café ce matin. (as given) Both are natural. Avoid adding an unnecessary preposition like pour here.

Do I have to repeat ni before each item?

Yes. Use ni before each coordinated element:

• ni thé ni café ni jus (for three items) Avoid forms like ni thé et café or ni thé ou café in this structure.

How does this compare to English “neither…nor…”?

It’s a direct match: ne… ni… ni… = “neither… nor…”. The key differences:

• French needs the ne (except in casual speech).
• Indefinite/partitive articles are usually dropped (or replaced by de).

What’s a concise way to avoid repeating the nouns?

Use pronouns:

• Je ne veux ni l’un ni l’autre (ce matin). = I want neither one nor the other. In very short replies you can even say: Ni l’un ni l’autre, merci.

Could I use pas de instead?

Yes, another natural pattern is:

• Je ne veux pas de thé ni de café (ce matin). This uses a general negation (pas de) plus ni to add the second item. It’s very common in speech.

What if someone asks “Tea or coffee?” How do I say “Neither, thanks”?

Natural replies:

• Ni l’un ni l’autre, merci.
• Aucun des deux, merci.
• Elliptical: Ni thé ni café, merci.

What’s the difference between ni… ni… and ou… ou… or soit… soit…?

• ni… ni… = neither… nor… (negative)
• ou… ou… = either… or… (neutral/affirmative)
• soit… soit… = either… or… (more formal, often written)

Pronunciation tips for the whole sentence?

Approximate IPA: [ʒə nə vø ni te ni kafe sə matɛ̃]

• je [ʒə], ne [nə] (often very light in speech)
• veux [vø] (same vowel as French bleu)
• thé [te]
• café [kafe]
• ce [sə]
• matin [matɛ̃] (nasal vowel at the end) There’s no liaison to worry about here.

Why is it je veux with an x, not a t?

It’s the irregular verb vouloir:

• je veux
• tu veux
• il/elle veut
• nous voulons
• vous voulez
• ils/elles veulent

If ni… ni… were the subject, how would the verb agree?

When two singular subjects are linked by ni… ni…, the verb is usually in the plural:

• Ni le thé ni le café ne me tentent ce matin. In practice, keeping it plural avoids ambiguity.

Is there a way to generalize “neither tea nor coffee” to a broader category?

Yes, use aucun(e) with a suitable noun:

• Je ne veux aucune boisson chaude ce matin. = I don’t want any hot drink this morning.

Any register or politeness tweaks?

To sound softer or more polite:

• Je ne prendrai ni thé ni café ce matin, merci.
• Merci, pas de thé ni de café pour moi ce matin.
• Je préférerais ne rien boire ce matin, merci.