Learn Spanish (Spain): Mi abuelo no lee ni escribe. - My grandfather neither reads nor writes.

In Spanish, negative sentences often require a double negative structure. To say that someone "neither" does one thing "nor" another, you start with no before the first verb (no lee) and then use ni before the second verb (ni escribe). Literally, it says "doesn't read nor writes."

What exactly does ni mean?

ni translates to "nor" or "neither". It is used to connect two negative ideas in a single sentence, similar to how we use "or" for positive ideas.

Can I use ni twice and say Mi abuelo ni lee ni escribe?

Yes, absolutely! Saying ni lee ni escribe is a very common and correct way to say "neither reads nor writes". Both no... ni... and ni... ni... mean the exact same thing in this context.

Why do both lee and escribe end in the letter -e?

They are different types of verbs, but they share this ending for the third person. lee comes from the -er verb leer (to read), and escribe comes from the -ir verb escribir (to write). In the present tense, both regular -er and -ir verbs use the -e ending when talking about one person, like "he", "she", or "my grandfather".