What are Pronouns?
In linguistics, a pronoun is a word that substitutes for a noun or noun phrase. Italian has several types of pronouns:
- Personal pronouns: You might know these as subjects. These are the Italian io, tu, lui/lei/Lei, noi, voi, loro.
- Direct object pronouns: These are the object of transitive verbs like mangiare (to eat), comprare (to buy), vedere (to see). They are connected to verbs without the use of any preposition.
- Indirect object pronouns: These are the object of intransitive verbs like andare (to go), arrivare (to arrive), morire (to die). They are connected to the verbs with the use of a preposition.
- pronoun ci: Normally translated into “there”, is used for places.
- pronoun ne: Used to refer to topics and parts of amounts. It substitutes for objects that are introduced by the preposition di.
In this article I will focus on the pronoun ne, what it means, when it is used, and how.
“Ne” in Italian
As I mentioned before, the Italian word ne is a pronoun. It is used to refer to topics and parts of amounts, substituting for objects that are introduced by the preposition di.
As all pronouns, ne can either precede or follow the verb, depending on the verb tense and the corresponding rules for pronouns placement.
Let me show you some examples:
Pensavo di averne un’altra.
I thought I had another one of it.
Ha avuto un incidente, ma ne è uscito illeso.
He had an accident, but came out of it unharmed.
Ne vuoi un po’?
Would you like some?
How to use “ne”?
To Replace a Phrase Introduced by “di”
As I mentioned before, ne is commonly used to replace phrases introduced by the preposition di (of, about). It is used to refer to objects, topics, or people that have already been mentioned.
A) Stai parlando di politica?
A) Are you talking about politics?
B) Sì, ne parlo spesso.
B) Yes, I talk about it often.
For this very reason, ne is also used with expressions like avere bisogno di (to need), avere paura di (to be afraid of), or accorgersi di (to realize), replacing the noun that follows these expressions.
Ho bisogno di soldi / Ne ho bisogno.
I need money. / I need it.
Ho sempre avuto paura dei cani / Ne ho sempre avuto paura.
I’ve always been afraid of dogs / I’ve always been afraid of them.
Non mi ero accorta della pioggia / Non me ne ero accorta.
I didn’t notice the rain / I didn’t notice it.
To Express Quantities
Ne is used to express an amount or quantity of something that has already been mentioned. It is often paired with an indication of quantity.
-Hai delle mele?
–Sì, ne ho tre.
-Do you have some apples?
-Yes, I have three of them.
For this reason, ne is also often used to indicate a part of a whole in a partitive sense, to talk about a portion or part of something that was mentioned before.
-Vuoi del pane?
–Ne voglio un po’.
-Do you want some bread?
-I want some of it.
With Idiomatic Expressions
In Italian we have the so called pronominal verbs, which are idiomatic expressions where the verbs necessarily need one or more pronouns that have no specific translation, but are necessary for the verb to make sense. Some of these verbs use ne.
I will list here the most common pronominal verbs that use ne:
- Andarsene (to leave, go away): the verb andare (to go) is combined with the reflexive pronoun se and ne to take on the meaning of leaving from a place or situation.
Me ne vado perché è tardi.
I’m leaving because it’s late.
- Fregarsene/importarsene (to not care about something):
Non te ne frega niente di me.
You don’t care at all about me.
Non me ne importa niente di calcio.
I do not care at all about football.
- Uscirsene (to surprisingly come out with something): the verb uscire (to go out) is combined with ne to give the meaning of coming out with a statement or comment, often something surprising or out of context.
Se n‘è uscito con una battuta strana.
He came out with a strange joke.
Ne vs Né
In case you did not know yet, accents are very important in Italian, and here I will explain you why: ne and né are two different words in Italian with distinct meanings and uses.
As we saw, ne is a pronoun and it is typically used to replace a phrase introduced by di. Instead, né is a conjunction used in negative sentences to mean “neither…nor”.
Né is typically used to connect two or more negative ideas or alternatives. Remember that in Italian the double negation is mandatory!
Non voglio né carne né pesce.
I want neither meat nor fish.
Non ho né fame né sete.
I am neither hungry nor thirsty.
