Italian "ci" vs "ne": Small words, big power (B1 guide)

Two tiny words—ci and ne—make Italian sound natural and fluent. But they can be tricky! In this post, you’ll learn when to use ci (there/about it) and ne (of it/some), how they work in everyday phrases like ce ne sono and non ce la faccio, and how to avoid common mistakes. Lots of examples and practice included.

Meet "ci": there, about it, and more

Think of ci as “there” or “about it/with it,” especially when the original phrase uses a, in, su, or da. It also appears in useful expressions like c’è/ci sono and ci vuole/ci vogliono.

Italian
Ci penso domani.
Lit: There I think tomorrow.
I’ll think about it tomorrow.
Italian
Non ci riesco.
Lit: I don’t succeed at it.
I can’t manage it.
Italian
Ci credo.
Lit: I believe in it/that.
I believe it.
pensare a
to think about
v
Penso al lavoro. Ci penso domani.
I think about work. I’ll think about it tomorrow.
riuscire a
to manage to, to succeed in
v
Non ci riesco a farlo.
I can’t manage to do it.
credere in/a
to believe in
v
Credo in te. Ci credo davvero.
I believe in you. I really believe it.
contare su
to count on, rely on
v
Puoi contare su di me. Ci puoi contare.
You can count on me. You can count on it.

Vado in biblioteca. vado spesso.

🔠 Put the words in order

Start with the clitic.

Italian
A Milano ci sono tanti eventi culturali.
In Milan there are many cultural events.

Meet "ne": of it, from it, some/any

Use ne to replace di + noun/phrase or to express quantities. It’s like saying “of it/them” or “some/any.”

Italian
Hai del pane? Sì, ne ho.
Do you have some bread? Yes, I have some.
parlare di
to talk about
v
Parli spesso di viaggi? Sì, ne parlo ogni giorno.
Do you often talk about travel? Yes, I talk about it every day.
avere bisogno di
to need
v
Ho bisogno di aiuto. Ne ho bisogno subito.
I need help. I need it right away.

Hai del tempo? Sì, ho poco.

🧠 Ci or ne?
Parlo di storia. Ci parlo spesso. → Parlo di storia. Ne parlo spesso. Use ne for di + topic. Ci is for a/in/su/da phrases or set expressions. Quanti biscotti hai? Ci ho tre. → Quanti biscotti hai? Ne ho tre. Numbers/quantities require ne.
Italian
Ce ne sono tre.
There are three (of them).
Italian
Ce l’hai il libro? Sì, ce l’ho.
Do you have the book? Yes, I have it.
Italian
Oggi proprio non ce la faccio.
Today I really can’t manage.
🔠 Put the words in order

Remember: ce + ne + sono + quantity.

Quanti studenti hai? ho venti.

Culture + everyday phrases

Italians use short ci/ne clusters in super common expressions:

  • Me ne vado. (I’m leaving.)
  • Che c’è? (What’s up/What’s the matter?)
  • Non me ne importa. (I don’t care.)
  • Te ne accorgi? (Do you notice it?)
  • Non ci capisco nulla. (I don’t understand anything about it.)

These make your Italian sound natural—and they’re all built on the same logic: ci = there/about it; ne = of it/from it/quantity.

me mi (1st pers. clitic, “to/for me”) ne of it/from it, away vado I go (andare, 1st sing.)
Italian
Me ne vado.
Lit: I of it/from it go (I go away).
I’m leaving.

Non posso fare a meno.

💬 At the party

Position and form: quick checklist

  • Clitics come before the conjugated verb: "ne parlo", "ci penso", "non ce la faccio".
  • With infinitives, you can attach: "parlarne", "pensarci", "farcela".
  • With imperatives: "Parlane!", "Pensaci!", "Prendine un po’!"
  • Ci becomes ce before another pronoun: "ce ne", "ce lo", "ce la".
Italian
Vorrei parlarne con te.
I’d like to talk about it with you.
Italian
Devi pensarci bene.
You must think it over carefully.

Final practice

Test yourself on typical patterns before you go!

C’è un museo qui vicino? Sì, sono due.

🔠 Put the words in order

In spoken Italian, “ne” often comes before the verb, but this order is also used in emphasis. Most common: “Ne ho pochi.”

Summary

  • Use ci for a/in/su/da + thing/place and many set expressions: ci penso, ci credo, c’è/ci sono, ci vuole/ci metto.
  • Use ne for di + phrase and quantities: ne parlo, ne ho bisogno, ne mangio poca.
  • Combine: ce ne sono, ce l’ho, non ce la faccio.

Keep listening for these in real conversations—you’ll hear them everywhere. Ci alleniamo? Praticaci ogni giorno e ne vedrai i risultati!

Thanks for studying with The Speaking Llama! Sei bravissimo/a—continua così!