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No vemos nada por la niebla.

No vemos nada por la niebla.
We don't see anything because of the fog.
From Lesson 93:Causes, duration, and transit (por)·Spanish (Latin America)

Questions & Answers about No vemos nada por la niebla.

Why does this sentence use por instead of porque to say 'because of'?
In Spanish, por is used directly before a noun to mean 'because of' or 'due to'. Here, it shows the reason why you cannot see. You would only use porque if you were following it with a full phrase containing a conjugated verb, like porque hay niebla (because there is fog).
Could I use para instead of por here?
No, because para usually points forward to a goal, destination, or purpose. Por is used to point to a cause or reason. Since the fog is the reason you cannot see, por is the correct choice.
Why is there a no at the beginning if nada already means 'nothing'?
Spanish uses double negatives! If a negative word like nada comes after the verb, you must put no in front of the verb. Even though it literally translates to 'We do not see nothing', the natural English translation is 'We do not see anything'.
Why do we use vemos (from ver) instead of miramos (from mirar)?
Ver means 'to see' (your physical ability to take in sights), while mirar means 'to look at' (directing your eyes on purpose). The fog is blocking your physical ability to see, not your choice to look, so vemos is the exact verb you need.

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