The Italian word ci is short and easy to remember, but it has several different uses:
as an object pronoun, to mean “us” or “to/for/with us”
as a reflexive pronoun or reciprocal pronoun, to mean “ourselves” or “each other”
as a demonstrative pronoun, to mean “this” or “that”
as an adverb of place, to mean “here” or “there”
in combination with various verbs
In this post we will cover the many uses of ci as well as where it is placed in a sentence. Let’s get started, shall we?
What are all the meanings of ‘ci’?
Ci sono meaning there are eight different cases you should become familiar with when dealing with ci. Including one I’m sure you already know: ci sono!
Let’s start with a useful list of all the meanings of ci. Don’t forget to keep it handy when you do your exercises.
Ci as “there” in the expressions c’è and ci sono:
C’è un cane nel tuo giardino.Translation: There is a dog in your garden.Ci sono molte stanze nella mia casa.Translation: There are many rooms in my house.Ci as “us” (direct object pronoun):
Tua madre ci adora.Translation: Your mother loves us.Ci as “to/for/with us” (indirect object pronoun):
L’autore del romanzo ci scrive una dedica.Translation: The novel’s author is writing a dedication to us.Ci as “ourselves” (reflexive pronoun):
Ci laviamo.Translation: We wash ourselves.Ci as “each other” (reciprocal pronoun):
Ci vediamo domani.Translation: We are going to see each other tomorrow.Ci as “about that/this,” when it replaces a prepositional phrases with a, in, su meaning to, at, in, on:
Pensi al tuo matrimonio? Sì, ci penso.Translation: Do you think about your wedding? Yes, I think about it.Ci as “there” or “here,” to replace mentioned locations in prepositional phrases with a, in, su + location.
Ti trovo a casa? Sì, ci sono.Translation: Are you at home? Yes, I am (here).Ci with certain verbs, as for example metterci meaning to take, volerci meaning to be necessary, starci meaning to be up to and averci meaning have (emphatic).
Ci vuole tempo per imparare una lingua straniera.Translation: You need time to learn a foreign language.
That’s the basics of it! But if you want some more examples and details, keep reading. We’re about to go through each use one-by-one!
‘Ci’ in ‘c’è’ and ‘ci sono’: “there is” and “there are”
In Italian, ci is used in combination with è meaning is and sono meaning are to mean “there is” and “there are.” You can use:
c’è with a singular noun (including uncountable nouns)
ci sono with a plural noun
For example, it can be used when you describe your place:
- C’è frutta in frigorifero?Translation: Is there fruit in the refrigerator?
- Sì, ci sono mele, pere e albicocche.Translation: Yes, there are apples, pears, and apricots.
‘Ce n’è’ and ‘ce ne sono’
We use ce n’è meaning there is … of it and ci ne sono meaning there are … of them to give a quantity, rather than just to state that something exists. These expressions really just combine c’è and ci sono and the partitive pronoun ne. Let’s see some examples of when you should use ce n’è and ce ne sono instead of c’è and ci sono.
- Quante pere ci sono in frigorifero?Translation: How many pears are there in the fridge?
- Ce ne sono tre.Translation: There are three (of them).
In the above example, you use ce ne sono instead of ci sono since you specify the number or quantity of “pears” there are in the fridge.
If you are talking about the quantity of a singular noun (usually a non-count noun), you’d use ce n’è instead, because the noun you’re discussing is singular. Let’s look at that difference:
ce n’è with singular and uncountable nouns | Hai visto che ce n’è poco di pane! Translation: You’ve seen there’s not much bread! |
ce ne sono with plural nouns | Di utilitarie, ce ne sono moltissime in Italia! Translation: There are many compact cars in Italy! |
Usually, ce n’è and ce ne sono are used as a reply to a question starting with quanto? meaning how much?/how many?:
- Quanto latte c’è?Translation: How much milk is there?
- Ce n’è una bottiglia.Translation: There is one bottle.
- Quante finestre ci sono in questa stanza?Translation: How many windows are there in this room?
- Ce ne sono tre.Translation: There are three (of them).
‘Ci’ as a direct object pronoun: “us”
Ci is used as a direct object pronoun when the direct object of the sentence is “us.”
A direct object is a noun that is directly affected by the action of the verb, but is not preceded by a preposition. In Italian, the direct object answers the question chi? meaning who?, and in English you can ask yourself: “verbed what/who?” If the answer is “us” then you can use ci.
So far so good, but what happens when “us” is preceded by a preposition?
‘Ci’ as indirect object pronoun: “to/for/with us”
Ci is used as an indirect object pronoun when the indirect object of a sentence is “us.”
When an object of the sentence is preceded by the preposition a meaning to, you have an indirect object.
When ci acts as an indirect object pronoun, it replaces the whole phrase a noi meaning to us:
‘Ci’ as a reflexive pronoun: “ourselves”
Ci also works as a reflexive pronoun in Italian to mean “ourselves.”
In Italian, reflexive pronouns are used with reflexive verbs, which are verbs that you do to yourself. The difference between a regular verb and a reflexive verbs (-si) is illustrated in the sentences below:
Non-reflexive
| Reflexive
|
|---|---|
(Noi) guardiamo un film. Translation: We are watching a movie.  | (Noi) ci guardiamo allo specchio. Translation: We are looking at ourselves in a mirror.  |
Whenever the subject of a reflexive verb is “we” (noi) the verb will be used with the reflexive pronoun ci, which tells us that the verb is directed back at the subject.
Remember, though, that not all sentences in Italian that use a reflexive verb will require the word “ourselves” in English. For example:
With other subjects, the reflexive pronoun you use will be different. Check out this full summary of Italian reflexive pronouns to learn more!
‘Ci’ as a reciprocal pronoun: “each other”
In Italian, the word ci can also act as a reciprocal pronoun, meaning “each other.” In general, reciprocal pronouns are used to show mutual actions. For example:
- Noi ci salutiamo.Translation: We greet each other.
- Noi ci incontriamo alla stazione.Translation: We meet each other at the station.
In these examples, the subject noi meaning we matches the pronouns ci to indicate that we each did the action to one another.
‘Ci’ as a demonstrative pronoun: “this” or “that”
Ci can be an Italian demonstrative pronoun, to replace a phrase with the structure illustrated below:
a preposition
e.g. a, di, in, su, con
a demonstrative adjective
questo/a meaning this or quello/a meaning that
a noun or pronoun
Let’s see some examples:
- Mi aiuti?Translation: Can you help me?
- Ci puoi contare.Translation: You can count on that.Here ci replaces the whole phrase: sul questo aiuto meaning on that help
To learn more, check out our post on Italian demonstrative pronouns!
‘Ci’ as a demonstrative adverb: “here” or “there”
Ci can be used as a demonstrative adverb to mean “here” or “there,” describing either where something is or where it’s going.
When studying abroad, my students visit many European cities, and in the hallways I always hear the question:
- Sei stato a Parigi questo fine settimana?Translation: Have you been to Paris this weekend?
- Sì, ci sono stato.Translation: Yes, I’ve been.
Here are some more examples:
Example 1:
- Vai dal dentista domani?Translation: Are you going to the dentist tomorrow?
- Sì, ci vado.Translation: Yes, I am (going there).
Example 2:
- Cosa metti sul tavolo?Translation: What do you put on the table?
- Ci metto un vaso di fiori.Translation: I am putting a flower pot on it.
Example 3:
- Hai già mangiato in quella pizzeria?Translation: Have you already eaten in that pizzeria?
- Sì, ci ho mangiato spesso.Translation: Yes, I have eaten there often.
‘Ci’ with verbs: ‘averci,’ ‘volerci,’ ‘metterci,’ and ‘starci’
Some verbs like volere meaning to want, mettere meaning to put, and stare meaning to stay and avere meaning to have take on a special meaning when they “meet” ci. Let's see how you can truly impress your friends by using them…
When to use ‘avere’ vs. ‘averci’
When we attach ci to avere meaning to have to create the verb averci, for emphasis and it’s particularly used in informal conversations.
- Hai una penna?Translation: Do you have a pen?
- Sì, c’ho una penna.Translation: Yes, I have a pen.c’ho = ci + ho
Averci can also combine with the third person direct object pronouns to replace something previously mentioned in a sentence. For example:
- Hanno la frutta?Translation: Do they have the fruit?
- Ce l’hanno!Translation: They have it!c’ho = ci + ho
So you’ll often see sequences like ce lo, ce la, ce li, and ce le, depending on the gender and number of the noun you’re replacing. See the difference between the conversation above and this one?
- Ce le ho le biciclette che volevi comprare.Translation: I’ve got (them), the bikes that you wanted to buy.ce le replaces le biciclette which is feminine plural
You might ask what ce means in the above examples. Well, it simply means nothing! It’s obligatory to have it there, though, whenever the main verb avere is used with a direct object pronoun.
When to use ‘volerci’?
Use volerci to say that something “is necessary” or that “it takes” something. In other words, volerci introduces:
what you need to do
how much of something you need to accomplish something
how long you’ll need to accomplish something
For example:
- Ci vogliono tre ore per fare un buon sugo.Translation: You need three hours to make a good sauce.
- Per arrivare in centro ci vogliono 20 minuti!Translation: To get downtown it takes 20 minutes!
Volerci is an impersonal verb – that means that it’s only conjugated in the third person singular or plural and it’s followed by its subject. Let’s see how it works:
- ci vuole
singular / uncountable noun
Ci vuole un’ora per andare a Fiumicino.Translation: It takes one hour to get to Fiumicino. - ci vogliono
plural noun
Ci vogliono tre ore per andare a Firenze.Translation: It takes three hours to get to Firenze.
When volerci is used in a compound tense like the passato prossimo, it always takes the auxiliary essere. Don’t forget to do the agreement with the past participle!
- Ci è voluta un’arancia per fare la torta.Translation: You needed an orange to make the cake.un’arancia is feminine singular, so we say voluta
- Ci sono volute tre arance per fare la torta.Translation: You needed three oranges to make the cake.tre arance is feminine plural, so we say volute
When to use ‘metterci’
Metterci is used to indicate how long it takes for someone to do something:
So what’s the difference between metterci and volerci, if they can both be translated as it takes + time?
Volerci is impersonal, so this is the amount of time it takes or took for any person to do something.
Metterci is not impersonal, so this is the amount of time it takes for someone specific to perform the action.
You can see the difference in this example:
When to use ‘starci’?
We use starci meaning to be up to to say that you’re “up for” something. For example:
- Ci sto ad una sola condizione: che tu mi dica la verità.Translation: I’m in, under one condition: you tell me the truth.
- Ci stai a fare questo regalo?Translation: Are you up for this gift?
Where to place ‘ci’ in a sentence?
This small word not only has different meanings, but it also loves to change position in the sentences, just to keep us on our toes. Generally, ci is placed before the conjugated verb (either simple or compound), as in the example below:
All the ci forms discussed so far follow the same placement rules as direct and indirect object pronouns. You can read about those rules extensively in our post on using direct object pronouns in Italian, or you can check out the brief review below:
- Civolere/potere/dovere
infinitive
Ci possiamo incontrare.Translation: We can meet.Possiamo incontrarci.Translation: We can meet. - Cistare
gerund
Ci stiamo arrivando.Translation: We’re getting there.Stiamo arrivandoci.Translation: We’re getting there. - Ci
imperative
Aspettateci.Translation: Wait for us!
To sum up
Congratulations! If you made it this far, you are ready to roll with the many uses of ci. To recap, we covered:
ci as a direct/indirect object pronoun
ci as a reflexive/reciprocal pronoun
ci as a demonstrative
c’è and ci sono as a direct/indirect object pronoun
ci as an adverb of place (here/there)
ci in combination with verbs volerci, metterci, and starci
how ci changes to cewhen combined with ne or lo, la, li, le
Last, but not least, we also saw how ci can be placed in front of the verb with infinitive/gerund OR can be attached to it as with the imperative/infinitive/gerund.
Now, ci sono meaning there are plenty of activities waiting for you to practice! Ci state? meaning Are you up for them? Check out the activities.
Ci vediamo! meaning See you!
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