How to use ''ci'' and ''ne'' correctly in Italian

Learning how to use these pronominal particles is very important, especially because Italians do not like repetitions. If you understand how to use these two particles, you will give and incredible boost to your fluency. Today we will explore: 

1.What "ci" means and when to use it 

2.What "ne" means and when to use it 

3.Common expressions and verbs that go with "ci" and "ne" 

Are you ready? Let’s dive in! 

1. What ''ci'' means and when to use it 

The pronoun ''ci'' in Italian has several uses, but its core meaning often relates to the idea of a place. Let's see more in detail. 

This is the most straightforward use. When you have already mentioned a place, you can refer back to it with ''ci'': 

• Mi piace andare al mercato. Ci vado ogni sabato. → I like going to the market. I go there every Saturday.

• Sei mai stato in Italia? Sì, ci sono stato l'anno scorso. → Have you ever been to Italy? Yes, I was there last year. 

But you can also often find ''ci'' combined with the verb essere (to be), which transforms into esserci, to indicate the existence of people or things, or their presence in a specific place. 

• Ci sono moltissime specie di animali e di piante → There are many species of animals and plants. 

• C’è qualcuno in casa? → Is there someone in the house? 

Ci'' can also stand in for prepositional phrases beginning with prepositions like ''da'', ''per'' and ''in'', when their meaning refers to ''da questo/quel luogo'', ''per questo/quel luogo'' or ''in questo/quel luogo''. 

• Vado da Marco ogni sera (I go to Marco’s every night) → Ci vado ogni sera (I go there every night) 

• Passo spesso per quel bar (I often pass by that bar) → Ci passo spesso (I often pass by there) 

• Andate in montagna quest’estate? (Are going to the mountains this summer?) → Sì, ci andiamo → Yes, we are going there. 

In addition, you may also find ''ci'' with ''su'', ''a'', ''da'' and ''con'' that have a demonstrative function, so that refer to a specific object. Especially with certain verbs like pensare a (to think), credere a (to believe), provare a (to try), and riuscire a (to manage; to succeed in). 

• Hai riflettutto sulla proposta? Sì, ci ho riflettuto → Did you think about the proposal? Yes, I thought about it. 

• Pensi a Maria? Sì, ci penso spesso. → Are you thinking about Maria? Yes, I think about her often. 

• Quanto pensi di guadagnare da ciò? → Quanto pensi di guadagnarci? (How much do you think will you earn from it?) 

• Non esco mai con lui → Non ci esco mai (I never go out with him).

2. What ''ne'' means and when to use it 

Ne'' is equally versatile. At its core, ''ne'' usually means "of it" or "of them," and it is often used to replace phrases introduced by the preposition ''di''. But it can also express quantities and be used with numbers. 

• Hai parlato di politica? Sì, ne ho parlato. → Did you talk about politics? Yes, I talked about it. 

• Hai paura dei ragni? No, non ne ho paura. → Are you afraid of spiders? No, I'm not afraid of them. 

When you talk about how much or how many of something, ''ne'' replaces the noun and is often accompanied by a number or expression of quantity: 

• Vuoi del pane? Sì, ne voglio un po'. → Do you want some bread? Yes, I want some. • Quanti libri hai? Ne ho tre. → How many books do you have? I have three (of them). 

Just remember: if you are dealing with "some of," "a few of," "a lot of," or even specific numbers, ''ne'' is your friend. 

3. Common expressions and verbs with ''ci'' and ''ne'' 

Some Italian verbs almost always require ''ci'' or ''ne'', so it is a good idea to learn them together. 

Verbs commonly used with ''ci'': 

• pensare a (to think about something/someone) → Ci penso 

• credere a (to believe in something/someone) → Ci credo

• provare a (to try to) → Ci provo 

• riuscire a (to manage; to succeed in) → Ci riesco 

Verbs commonly used with ''ne'': 

• parlare di (to talk about something/someone) → Ne parlo 

• avere bisogno di (to need something/someone) → Ne ho bisogno • avere paura di (to be afraid of something/someone) → Ne ho paura • essere sicuro di (to be sure of something) → Ne sono sicuro 

Other than the abovementioned verbs, you must also consider that there are also idiomatic expressions which require the use of ''ne'': 

• Andarsene – to go away Me ne vado. → I am leaving.

• Uscirsene – to come out with (something unexpected) 

Se n’è uscita con una battuta assurda. → She came out with a ridiculous remark. 

• Fregarsene – to not care 

Me ne frego. → I don’t care at all. 

• Accorgersene – to realize 

Non me ne sono accorto. → I didn’t realize. 

• Volerne – to hold a grudge / be mad at someone 

Me ne vuoi ancora? → Are you still mad at me? 

• Non poterne più – to not be able to take it anymore 

Non ne posso più! → I can’t take it anymore! 

• Averne abbastanza – to have had enough 

Ne ho abbastanza di questa situazione. → I have enough of this situation. 

• Parlarne – to talk about it 

Ne possiamo parlare domani? → Can we talk about it tomorrow?

• Saperne – to know about something 

Non ne so nulla. → I don’t know anything about it. 

• Esserne sicuro – to be sure about something 

Ne sei sicuro? → Are you sure about it? 

• Valerne la pena – to be worth it 

Non ne vale pena, lascia stare → It is not worth it, forget about it 

That is all for today’s lesson! 

I hope you find useful this article and that you learnt something.  

Understanding ''ci'' and ''ne'' will not only improve your grammar but also make your Italian sound much more fluent and idiomatic. With a bit of practice, you will start using them with confidence.Of course, if you have any questions or other topics you would like me to cover, let me know in the comments below.

Thank you reading this article! 

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Germana