Pronomi oggetto: CI e NE

Pronome CI

Like all other object pronouns, the pronoun CI replaces the object of the action of the verb.

1. MEANING: CI is used to substitute something that refers to a location, a place, or a content of interest or conversation in the following instances:

• A / IN / SU (+article) + place

Vai al mare? → No, non ci vado.
Are you going to the beach? → No, I'm not going (there).

Sei andato a casa? → Sì, ci sono andato.
Did you go home? →  Yes, I went (there). 

Sei mai stato in Italia? → No, non ci sono mai stato.
Have you ever been to Italy? → No, I've never been (there).

Sei salito sulla barca? → No, non ci sono salito.
Did you get on the boat? →  No, I didn't get on it.

• DA + person (= to a person’s home/office)

Vai mai dal dottore? → Sì, ci vado spesso.
Do you even go to the doctor's? → Yes, I often go (there).

Sei andato da Carlo? → No, non ci sono andato.
Did you go to Carlo's → No, I didn't go (there).

• A + infintive

Vai a fare la spesa? → No, non ci vado.
Are you going shopping? → No, I am not going.
 
Quando vai a correre? → Ci vado domani.
When are you going for a run? → I am going tomorrow.

• A + noun with verbs like PENSARE / CREDERE

Credi agli spiriti? → No, non ci credo.
Do you believe in ghosts? → No, I don't believe in them.

Pensi all'esame? → Sí, ci penso.
Do you think about the exam? → Yes, I think about it.

2. PLACEMENT: CI follows the same rules as other object pronouns.

• Before a conjugated verb, but attached to the end of the verb if the verb is not conjugated

Ci vado domani.
Preferisco andarci domani.

• With a form of dovere, potere, volere, attached to the infinitive or before the verb phrase

Ci devo andare domani.
Devo andarci domani.

• When CI precedes dovere, potere, volere in a tense that requires the auxiliary, essere is used and the past participle agrees in gender and number with the subject; when CI is attached to the infinitive, avere is used and there is no agreement

Lucia ci è dovuta andare.
Lucia ha dovuto andarci.

3. There are several common IDIOMATIC EXPRESSIONS with CI:

• entrarci  (to have something to do with)

Io non c’entro niente.
I have nothing to do with it.

• *metterci (to take + time)

Ci ho messo un’ora per leggerlo.
It took me an hour to read it.

• sentirci  (to be able to hear)

Mio nonno non ci sente più.
My grandpa can’t hear any longer. 

• vederci  (to be able to see)

Ci vedi al buio?
Can you see in the dark?

• *volerci  (to take + effort, money, time)

– Quanto ci vuole?  – Ci vogliono due ore.
How long does it take? It takes two hours.

*NOTE the difference between metterci and volerci (both used with the meaning “to take time”):

• metterci is used when the person/thing taking time is the subject of the verb

Di solito (io) ci metto un’ora per fare i compiti, ma ieri (io) ci ho messo due ore.
It usually takes me an hour to do my homework, but yesterday it took me two hours.

• volerci is used when the subject is the time needed to do something (the subject follows the verb)

Ci vuole molto tempo per fare le lasagne. Ci vogliono almeno cinque ore.
It takes a long time to make lasagne. It takes at least five hours.

– Quanto c’è voluto per fare tutto? – Ci sono volute molte ore.
How long did it take to do everything? It took many hours.

Pronome NE

Like all other object pronouns, the pronoun NE replaces the object of the action of the verb.

1. MEANING: NE is used to substitute something that refers to a quantity or a topic in the following instances:

• DI (or DI + article) + noun or infinitive

Parlano di politica? → No, non ne parlano.
Do they talk about politics? → No, they don't talk about it.

Hai voglia di uscire? → Sí, ne ho voglia.
Do you feel like going out? → Yes, I feel like it.

Vuoi del vino? → No, non ne voglio?
Do you want some wine? → No, I don't want any.

Hai paura dei ragni? → No, non ne ho paura.
Are you scared of spiders? → No, I am not scared of them.

• DA + a place

È già uscito dal negozio? → Sì, ne è appena uscito.
Has he already left the store? → Yes, he has just left it.   

• Nouns used alone

Avete compiti? → Ne abbiamo molti.
Do you have homework assignments? → We have a lot of them.

Metti formaggio sugli spaghetti? → Sí, ne metto.
Do you put cheese on spaghetti? → Yes, I put some.

• Quantity (expressed by numbers, OR words like “molto/tanto/troppo/quanto”)

Quanti libri vuoi? → Ne voglio tre*
How many books do you want? → I want three (of them)

Hai tante valige? → Sì, ne ho tante*
Do you have a lot of suitcases? → Yes, I have a lot (of them)

2. When NE is used with PASSATO PROSSIMO and expresses a QUANTITY, the past participle AGREES with the gender and number of the noun NE substitutes (as in the case of direct object pronoun).

Hai comprato tante paste? → Sì, ne ho comprate tante.
Did you buy many pastries? → Yes, I bought many (of them).

Hai mangiato due pizze? → No, ne ho mangiata solo una.
Did you eat two pizzas? → No, I ate only one (of them).

3. NE is NOT used with tutto/a/i/e. Use the direct object pronoun (lo, la, li, le) to express all of it, all of them.

Non c’è più frutta? → No, l’ho mangiata tutta.
There is no more fruit? → No, I ate all of it.

Non ci sono pesche? → No, le ho mangiate tutte.
There are no more peaches? → No, I ate all of them.

4. PLACEMENT: NE follows the same rules as object pronouns and CI (see rule for placement of CI above).