Breakdown of No bebo ni café ni té por la mañana.
yo
I
la mañana
the morning
beber
to drink
el café
the coffee
no
not
el té
the tea
ni
nor
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Questions & Answers about No bebo ni café ni té por la mañana.
Why is no used before the verb and also ni… ni afterward?
In Spanish, negative concord means you need no before the verb plus negative connectors for the items you’re excluding. So no bebo negates the action, and ni… ni links the two things you don’t drink (“neither… nor”).
What does ni… ni exactly mean?
Ni… ni translates to “neither… nor.” It’s used to join two (or more) items you’re negating: ni café ni té = “neither coffee nor tea.”
Why aren’t there articles before café and té?
When talking about drinks in general, Spanish omits articles: you say bebo agua, bebo café, not bebo el agua or el café. Adding an article would imply specific cups, not the beverage category.
Can I use tomar instead of beber here?
Yes. Both mean “to drink,” but in Latin America tomar café is very common. Beber is more narrowly “to drink” and slightly more formal, while tomar can also mean “to have” (e.g., to have a snack).
Why is por la mañana used instead of en la mañana?
In most of Latin America time-of-day expressions use por: por la mañana, por la tarde, por la noche. En la mañana is less common and regional.
Could I place por la mañana at the beginning of the sentence?
Yes. Por la mañana no bebo ni café ni té is equally correct; you’re simply emphasizing the time frame before stating what you don’t drink.
Does this sentence mean I never drink coffee or tea at all?
No—it only refers to mornings because of por la mañana. You might still drink coffee or tea in the afternoon or evening.
Can I use ni… ni to connect more than two items?
Absolutely. For example: No bebo ni café, ni té ni jugo = “I don’t drink coffee, tea, or juice.” You just keep adding ni before each item.