I will briefly try to account for this difference here. (Do you ever think about death? ci is used to mean it or about it. ©Italianencounter.com 2012-2017. ), – Sì, ci sono andata due ore fa. Andiamo al teatro questo weekend? Ci vado = I go there. ), – Ne parla Umberto Eco. It can also substitute a complement introduced by preposition DI  when it refers to a topic (=”about”, in this case): – Chi parla di semiotica? Ci and ne are called particelle (particles) and are widely used in Italian. (Enough of it, I am leaving [this place]) CI in Italian, instead, can replace a phrase referring to a place, introduced by A, IN, SU: (5) – Sei andata in banca? ), – Quante ne vuole? (Who talks about semiotics? BUT. It also replaces A + person depending from verb PENSARE, CREDERE: – Credi agli alieni? The pronominal particle ‘ci’ is used (in order of difficulty…): – as a reflexive, direct or indirect pronoun – meaning ‘noi’. (How many [of them] would you like? It often replaces phrases with the word “a” in them. You may have heard them or seen them written down but were not sure how to use them yourself. You can find it also in some idiomatic verbs, such as andarsene (=to leave): Basta, me ne vado! (It takes 5 hours by train to get from Venice to Rome). Finally, you can also find CI in some idiomatic verbs and phrases, such as ci vuole / ci vogliono  (=it takes): Da Venezia a Roma ci vogliono 5 ore di treno. What do you think of it? – to refer to a place (in which case it could be replaced by the expression ‘a … CI in Italian, instead, can replace a phrase referring to a place, introduced by A, IN, SU: –  Sei andata in banca? Previous Next. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. (Hello, I would like some apples. – Salve, vorrei delle mele. (Have you been to the bank? Common Italian phrases to use at the supermarket, Italian Past Perfect tense (Trapassato Prossimo). ), – Ne ho un po’. Italian Grammar Lessons: Pronominal Particles ‘Ci’ & ‘Ne’. ITALIA: +39 0932 1846653 / Via San Brancati 16 C.da Cannizzara, 97015 Modica (RG), Plans and Dreams: Talking about the Future in Italian, Discussing Your Job or Profession in Italian, Meet the "Unques": From Chiunque to Comunque, Fractional ownership in Montalto delle Marche, Buonjourney Italy – Cultural and Culinary Vacations in Italy, Learn Italian in Genoa and Online - Centro Studi Italiani (Ex Scuola Tricolore), Reggio Lingua - Language school and cooking classes. Here is a guide to help you understand them. (I would like four [of them], thank you). (Enough of it, I am leaving [this place]). (How many books have you got? (Umberto Eco talks about it). (Have you been to the bank?) In spoken Italian cican be used with avere to express possession, for example: In the above examples ci becomes ce because of the pronoun that follows it (lo, la, li, le etc.). Quante banane (feminine plural) hai mangiato? Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Italianencounter.com with appropriate and specific direction to the original content. NE in Italian can replace a noun when this is introduced by a number or an expression of quantity (molto/i/e, tanti/e, un po’, etc), such as in (1) and (2): – Quanti libri hai? (Do you believe in aliens? This will save you a lot of time and headaches Ne Ne can mean- of it- of them- about it- about them- any- some Here are some examples: Quante sorelle hai? ), – Ne vorrei quattro, grazie. Ci and ne are called particelle (particles) and are widely used in Italian. Ci replaces “a” and “la scuola” (they are … (No, I never think about it). You may have heard them or seen them written down but were not sure how to use them yourself. Have you seen that film? Ci can be used to refer to a place, replacing prepositions like a,in,da(at / in): Are you coming to the party this evening? Ne usually goes before the conjugated verb: Ci is used as reflexive, direct or indirect pronoun meaning noi or ‘we/us’: Ci vediamo domani - See you tomorrow! (Yes, I was there two hours ago). Ci andrò l’anno prossimo per la prima volta! – to mean ‘there are’ in the ‘c’è/ci sono’ construction. To master the Italian pronouns ci and ne, you’d better learn the recurring combinations of verbs and pronouns in which they appear. Ci can mean ‘there’, as you may have seen in the expressions c’è(which in full would be ci è) and ci sono- there is and there are. Shall we go to the theatre this weekend? (Umberto Eco talks about it) You can find it also in some idiomatic verbs, such as andarsene (=to leave): (4) Basta, me ne vado! This is also the case when it is combined with other pronouns: Quante regole di grammatica ci sono in italiano? Key points. I hope I managed to clear some doubts! ), – No, non ci penso. What do you think about going on holiday together this summer? Like ne, ci usually comes before the verb, except when the verb is an order, the infinitive (the –re form of the verb) or the –ing form. What do you say about it? “Ci” is often used in order to say “there”. For instance: ne often appears with parlare, and ci often appears in combination with pensare and credere. (I have got a few [of them]). Ne ho due. – Ne parla Umberto Eco. If you want to use nein the past tense, the verb needs to agree in gender and number with the direct object, for example: Quanti libri (masculine plural) hai letto quest’anno? Che ne dici? If you have any questions about this, just email me at serena@italianencounter.com. ), – No, non ci credo. How many Italian grammar rules are there? Vado alla scuola = I go to the school. Here is a guide to help you understand them. (literally we see each other tomorrow), Flavio ci ha visto al cinema ieri - Luca saw us at the cinema yesterday. Both “ci” and “ne” are pronouns which means that they take the place of nouns. (No, I don’t believe in them), – Pensi mai alla morte? ci is used with verbs which can be followed by the preposition a. ci usually comes before the verb. Che ne pensi di andare in vacanza insieme quest’estate? Many people learning Italian struggle with understanding the difference between CI and NE in Italian.