"Ci" and "Ne"

Many people learning Italian struggle with understanding the difference between CI and NE in Italian. 

In this page you will find:

how CI and NE are used in Italian

some exercises on CI and NE

Look at these sentences:

(1)

– Salve, vorrei delle mele. (Hello, I would like some apples.)

– Quante ne vuole? (How many [of them] would you like?)

– Ne vorrei quattro, grazie. (I would like four [of them], thank you)

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):

(2)

– Quanti libri hai? (How many books have you got?)

– Ne ho un po’. (I have got a few [of them])

It can also substitute a complement introduced by preposition DI when it refers to a topic

(=”about”, in this case):

(3)

– Chi parla di semiotica? (Who talks about semiotics?)

– Ne parla Umberto Eco. (Umberto Eco talks about it)

You can find it also in some idiomatic verbs, such as andarsene (=to leave):

(4)

Basta, me ne vado! (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? (Have you been to the bank?)

– Sì, ci sono andata due ore fa. (Yes, I was there two hours ago)

It also replaces A + person depending from verb PENSARE, CREDERE:

(6)

– Credi agli alieni? (Do you believe in aliens?)

– No, non ci credo. (No, I don’t believe in them)

(7)

– Pensi mai alla morte? (Do you ever think about death?)

No, non ci penso. (No, I never think about it)

Finally, you can also find CI in some idiomatic verbs and phrases, such as ci vuole / ci vogliono

(=it takes):

(8)

Da Venezia a Roma ci vogliono 5 ore di treno. (It takes 5 hours by train to get from Venice to

Rome)