“C’è” and “ce n’è” in Italian
What do “c’è” and “ce n’è” Mean in Italian?
C’è and ce n’è are useful contractions in Italian that are commonly used in everyday speech. Specifically, see what these contractions stand for in Italian:
- ci è =c’è
- ce ne è =ce n’è
Both are composed of the pronoun ci and the verb essere, therefore expressing the existence of something. However, ce n’è is also composed of the extra pronoun ne which is used to talk about amounts or topics that were something previously mentioned.
Therefore, both c’è and ce n’è mean “there is” in Italian, but the latter can be better translated as “there is … of …”. I know it might sound confusing, but do not worry, I will explain its contextual use below!
How to use “c’è” and “ce n’è” in Italian?
Let me start by showing you an example:
A) C’è del vino?
A) Is there some wine?
B) Sì, ce n’è.
B) Yes, there is some (of it)
As you might know already, the pronoun ne is used to replace objects that are introduced by the preposition di. In this specific context, it replaces “of it”, meaning “of wine”.
Therefore, ce n’è is used to talk about the presence of a specific amount of something that was already mentioned in the conversation.
Remember that when you combine two pronouns together and obtain a double pronoun structure, the first pronoun changes its vowel from i to e to make the pronunciation smoother. This is why the pronoun ci becomes ce in this structure.
Also, just like you use an apostrophe in ci è you use an apostrophe in ce ne è.
Here are some more examples of the use of c’è and ce n’è:
- Example:
A) Non c’è il latte di soia?
A) Isn’t there some soy milk?
B) Sì, ce n’è una bottiglia piena, guarda lì!
B) Yes, there is a whole bottle (of it), look there!
- Example:
A) Lo zucchero invece?
A) Sugar instead?
B) Nonc’è.
B) There isn’t any.
- Example:
A) Lo zucchero invece?
A) Sugar instead?
B) Non ce n’è abbastanza.
B) There isn’t enough of it.
Notice the difference between the last two conversations: in the first case, the speaker is denying the existence of sugar in general, while in the second case it is denying a specific amount of sugar, which is the reason why ne is used.
“C’è” and “ci sono” vs “ce n’è” and “ce ne sono”
Of course, just like we use c’è for singular and ci sono for plural, we can use ce n’è for singular and ce ne sono for plural. As you can see, the only thing that changes is the verb, which is pluralized.
- Example:
A) Ci sono delle mele?
A) Are there some apples?
B) Sì, ce ne sono.
B) Yes, there are.
- Example:
A) Quanti invitati ci sono al matrimonio?
A) How many guests are there at the wedding?
B) Ce ne sono 100.
B) There are 100 (of them).
As you can see, in both examples, ne refers back to a specific object mentioned in the question.
Practice to Express Existence
These two structures might result a bit tricky at the beginning, so practice their contextual use anytime you can. Also, make sure you do not make the common mistake of omitting ne and, therefore, using c’è instead of ce n’è.
This is a common mistake that several Italian learners make. But remember: ne must be used whenever an object is introduced by the preposition ne and is used to refer to a specific quantity previously mentioned.
A) C’è qualcosa che puoi fare per imparare?
A) Is there anything you can do to learn?
B) Certo! Ci sono gli esercizi!
B) Of course, there are exercises!
