# FR: I don't like tea and coffee at all



## Wang Jing

"Je n'aime ni thé ni café. " 

 It means that: I don't like tea and coffee at all.  

"A:Je viends d'acheter du thé et du café. 
B:Je n'aime ni le thé ni le café."  

Could I say this to tell the other that I don't like the tea or the coffee that he/she has bought?  Or in this phrase "ne...ni...ni..." we can't use an article before noun in any case?


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## Aldebarbaran

I'd say _Je n'aime ni le thé ni le café,_ in any context.

On the other hand, you can say _Je ne bois ni thé, ni café._ Here the articles are not needed.


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## s3ct0r3

Wang Jing said:


> "Je n'aime ni thé ni café. "
> 
> It means that: I don't like tea and coffee at all.
> 
> "A:Je viends d'acheter du thé et du café.
> B:Je n'aime ni le thé ni le café."
> 
> Could I say this to tell the other that I don't like the tea or the coffee that he/she has bought?  Or in this phrase "ne...ni...ni..." we can't use an article before noun in any case?



In English, that construction sounds a tad bit odd. Perhaps something along the lines of : « I don't like tea *or* coffee at all ! »


The use of the articles works well, but I see that conversation being awkward. I've read and heard people say :
« Vous êtes thé ou café le matin ? » 
« Le matin, je ne suis ni thé ni café mais lait au chocolat. »

(Possibly the articles are required with « aimer »)

Perhaps I'm the one who needs some schooling?


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## Wang Jing

With "avoir", articles are not required?

Je n'ai ni thé ni café.

It means that I don't have any tea or coffee.

Je n'ai ni le thé ni le café.=Je n'ai pas le thé, et je n'ai pas le café?

Could I used it to say I don't have a specific kind of tea or coffee?


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## lalanguedemoliere

Il aime le thé = a particular drink 
Il boit du thé le matin =  not a definite quantity of that particular drink. (some tea)
Il prend le thé = a traditional meal

Another example :

La drogue est dangereuse : la drogue en général  
Il revend de la drogue : pas toute la drogue, une certaine quantité. 

En français, "du" = "de le" ( qui ne se dit pas)


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## lalanguedemoliere

I forgot to answer your question about "ni...ni..."

Je n'ai *pas de* thé *et *je n'ai *pas de* café (*non plus *) =

Pas de .... et pas de..... = ni.....ni.....

Je n'ai *ni *thé *ni* café 

*Pas de* = "aucun" ou *"aucune quantité de"*

You *can't *say : "pas du"

Je n'aime *pas le* thé et je n'aime pas *pas le* café ( as a rule)
Je n'aime *ni le* thé *ni le* café

It does not depend on the verb which is used.

" J'ai du thé " : You can't have all the tea in the world. You have some tea. " J'ai le thé !" : I found *the packet* I was looking for !


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## Wang Jing

Je n'ai ni le thé ni le café.

Could I used it to say I don't have a particular kind of tea, nor a particular kind of coffee? I still don't quite understand. I know "le" has several different usages, and that " Pas de .... et pas de..... = ni.....ni.....". 

If we don't say things like that, what should we say to tell others "I don't have a particular kind of tea, nor a particular kind of coffee"?


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## airwing

coucou ^^

you have to say:
je n'ai ni thé ni café (verbe avoir) = means that you don't have tea or coffee (at all)
je n'aime ni le thé ni le café (verbe aimer) = means you don't like tea and coffee (both)

to say: I don't have a particular kind of tea, nor a particular kind of coffee
= je n'ai aucune sorte particulière/précise de thé ni de café.


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## Wang Jing

Merci beaucoup.


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## Topsie

You can translate "ni ... ni ..." by "neither ... nor ..."
I like *neither *tea *nor *coffee


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## Le Païen

Pour préciser: I think what Wang Jing has been asking here is if "Je n'ai ni le thé, ni le café" is possible, in reference to some particular tea or coffee which has been previously mentioned or referred to. Suppose you were delegated to bring some tea and some coffee to a gathering; you arrive with neither; apologetically, you could well say, "Je m'excuse, mais je n'ai ni le thé ni le café [que j'étais censé apporter]"

Indeed, with verbs like aimer, préférer, détester, etc., the le is used, to indicate ALL tea and coffee.  Including the negative.

To express "I don't have any tea or coffee [in the house]" -- Je n'ai ni thé ni café.


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## Dzienne

Si je serais à la douane, et le douanier me demande, "Transportez-vous des plantes ou de la nourriture?" et je voudrais répondre en utilisant ne...ni...ni..., devrais-je dire quelque chose comme, "Je ne transporte ni plantes ni nourriture"?  Ou dois-je répéter des articles partitifs comme "Je ne transporte ni des plantes ni de la nourriture?"

Merci d'avance!


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## enoo

Dzienne said:


> Si *j'étais* à la douane,



And your first solution is the right one, "Je ne transporte ni plantes ni nourriture"


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## Dzienne

Thank you!!!!


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