Learn Hardcore French: Ce matin, je mange des céréales et je bois un jus d’orange. - This morning, I eat cereal and drink orange juice.

French present can describe what’s happening now, and ce matin can include the current morning. If the actions already happened earlier this morning, you would normally use the passé composé:

Ongoing/now: Ce matin, je mange… je bois…
Completed earlier today: Ce matin, j’ai mangé des céréales et j’ai bu du jus d’orange.

Why is it ce matin and not cet matin?

Because matin is masculine and begins with a consonant, so you use ce. Use cet only before masculine nouns that start with a vowel sound or silent h (e.g., cet après-midi). Use cette for feminine singular (e.g., cette matinée), and ces for plural.

Why is it des céréales (plural)? Can I say singular?

In French, breakfast cereal is typically referred to in the plural les céréales; with an unspecified quantity you use the plural indefinite article des: des céréales. Singular une céréale refers to a type of grain (wheat, oats), not a bowl of “cereal.”

What’s the difference between des céréales and les céréales here?

des céréales = some cereals (unspecified cereals you’re eating now)
les céréales = the cereals (specific ones already known) or the category in general (e.g., Les céréales sont riches en fibres). In the mealtime context, des céréales is the natural choice.

Why is it un jus d’orange and not du jus d’orange?

Both are possible, with a nuance:

un jus d’orange = one serving/glass of orange juice (typical at a café or at breakfast)
du jus d’orange = some orange juice (unspecified amount) Your sentence presents two parallel actions/servings, so un jus d’orange fits nicely.

Why d’orange and not de l’orange?

In compound nouns that express content or flavor, French often uses bare de without an article: un jus d’orange, une glace au chocolat, une tarte aux pommes.
de l’orange would mean “of the orange” (a specific orange), e.g., le jus de l’orange posée sur la table.

Shouldn’t des become d’ before a vowel?

No. The plural article des never elides. You say des amis, des oranges, not d’amis, d’oranges. It’s the simple preposition de that elides to d’ before a vowel (e.g., pas d’orange).

Why un and not une with jus?

Because jus is masculine: un jus, le jus. Gender is part of the word’s dictionary form and must be memorized (e.g., un café, but une eau).

Can I put the time expression at the end: Je mange… ce matin?

Yes. Both are correct:

Ce matin, je mange des céréales et je bois un jus d’orange.
Je mange des céréales et je bois un jus d’orange ce matin. Fronting it emphasizes the time a bit more.

Is the comma after Ce matin necessary?

It’s standard and stylistically clean to use a comma after a fronted time phrase, especially in writing. It’s not strictly mandatory with very short adverbials, but it’s recommended: Ce matin, …

Can I drop the second je and say … et bois un jus d’orange?

Grammatically possible in formal or literary style: Ce matin, je mange des céréales et bois un jus d’orange. In everyday speech and writing, repeating the subject is more natural: … et je bois …

How do I say this as a habit, “In the morning I eat cereal and drink orange juice”?

Use the generic article or a frequency phrase:

Le matin, je mange des céréales et je bois du jus d’orange.
Tous les matins, je mange des céréales et je bois du jus d’orange.

How do I negate the sentence?

After negation, partitive and indefinite articles usually become de / d’:

Ce matin, je ne mange pas de céréales et je ne bois pas de jus d’orange. Note: This change doesn’t happen with être.

What are the present-tense conjugations for manger and boire?

manger: je mange, tu manges, il/elle mange, nous mangeons (note the e), vous mangez, ils/elles mangent (final -ent is silent)
boire: je bois, tu bois, il/elle boit, nous buvons, vous buvez, ils/elles boivent

Any pronunciation tips for this sentence?

mange = [mɑ̃ʒ] (nasal vowel)
des céréales = [de se.ʁe.al]; the final -s of céréales is silent; no liaison after des here
je bois = [ʒə bwa]
un jus = [œ̃ ʒy]; the -s in jus is silent
d’orange = [dɔʁɑ̃ʒ]; the apostrophe marks elision of de
Also, no liaison after et.

Could I use avec instead of et?

You can say Je mange des céréales avec un jus d’orange, which emphasizes having the juice alongside the cereal as part of the same meal. … et je bois … simply coordinates two actions; both are fine.

Could I use prendre for meals/drinks here?

Yes. Common options:

Ce matin, je prends des céréales et un jus d’orange.
Ce matin, je prends le petit-déjeuner. (general: “I’m having breakfast”)

Why is it des céréales, but de before an adjective (e.g., “good cereals”)?

Before a plural noun modified by an adjective, des becomes de:

Je mange de bonnes céréales. This is a standard grammar rule in French.

What’s the difference between matin and matinée?

matin = the morning as a point in time (neutral): ce matin, demain matin
matinée = the morning seen as a duration/period, often with nuance: dans la matinée, une longue matinée