What is the difference between ci and ne in Italian?

Ci replaces a place or a phrase introduced by a: ci vado (I go there), ci penso (I think about it). Ne replaces a quantity or a phrase introduced by di: ne ho due (I have two), ne parlo (I talk about it). If you know which preposition the verb takes, you know which pronoun to use.

What does ne mean in Italian?

Ne usually means some, any, of it, of them, or about it. It replaces a noun after a quantity (ne voglio un chilo, I want a kilo of it) or a phrase with di (ne abbiamo parlato, we talked about it). It also appears in fixed verbs such as andarsene, to leave.

What does ci mean in Italian?

Ci has several jobs. It means there (ci vado), it replaces a phrase with a (ci credo, I believe it), it is the object pronoun us (ci chiamano, they call us), and it is the reflexive pronoun for noi (ci alziamo, we get up). It also forms c'è and ci sono, there is and there are.

Does the past participle agree with ne?

Yes, when ne stands for a quantity of something: ne ho mangiate tre (three apples), ne ho comprati due (two books). When ne means about it or of it, the participle stays in -o: ne abbiamo parlato.

What do ce n'è and ce ne sono mean?

They mean there is some and there are some. Ci becomes ce before ne, and ne becomes n' before è. C'è del caffè? Sì, ce n'è means Is there any coffee? Yes, there is. Ce ne sono tre means There are three of them.

Italian grammar · Intermediate

Ci and Ne

Written by Parrot Italian Team, Italian Curriculum Editors · Reviewed October 2026

Ci and ne are two small Italian pronouns with no single English equivalent. Ci usually replaces a place or a phrase introduced by a (there, about it, in it), while ne replaces a quantity or a phrase introduced by di (some, of it, about it). Both go before the conjugated verb, like other object pronouns.

Hai fratelli? Sì, ne ho due.

Do you have any brothers or sisters? Yes, I have two.

What it is

Ci vs Ne in one line: use ci for there or for a phrase with a (pensare a, credere a), and use ne for a quantity or a phrase with di (parlare di, avere bisogno di). English often says nothing at all in these places, which is why learners leave them out. Italian needs them: to answer how many brothers you have, you say ne ho due, not just ho due.

Pensi al viaggio? Sì, ci penso spesso. Parli del viaggio? Sì, ne parlo spesso. (Do you think about the trip? Yes, I think about it often. Do you talk about the trip? Yes, I talk about it often.)

How to spot it

Look at the preposition the verb normally takes. A place, or a phrase with a, points to ci. A number, an amount, or a phrase with di points to ne.

Ci andiamo in treno. (We're going there by train.)
Ci credi? (Do you believe it?)
Ne vuoi un po'? (Do you want some?)
Che ne pensi? (What do you think of it?)

Ci is also the pronoun for us (ci vedono, they see us) and part of c'è and ci sono (there is, there are). The context tells you which ci you are looking at.

Ci and Ne Quick Reference

What ci and ne replace, with the English they usually correspond to.

Pronoun	Replaces	English	Example
ci	a place (a, in + place)	there	Vado a Milano. → Ci vado. (I'm going there.)
ci	a + thing or idea	about it, in it, on it	Penso al lavoro. → Ci penso. (I'm thinking about it.)
ci	con + person (spoken)	with him, with her	Parlo con Luca. → Ci parlo io. (I'll talk to him.)
ne	a quantity of something	some, of it, of them	Compro tre mele. → Ne compro tre. (I'm buying three.)
ne	di + thing or person	about it, of it	Parlo del film. → Ne parlo. (I'm talking about it.)
ce ne	ci + ne together	there is some, there are some	Ce ne sono tre. (There are three of them.)

Common Ci and Ne Examples in Italian

Ci and ne in everyday sentences:

Ci for Places

Sei mai stato a Venezia? Sì, ci sono stato due volte.: Have you ever been to Venice? Yes, I've been there twice.
Andate al mare domenica? Sì, ci andiamo in macchina.: Are you going to the beach on Sunday? Yes, we're driving there.

English can drop there (I've been twice), but Italian keeps ci.

Ci With a + Idea

Non ci credo.: I don't believe it.
Ci penso io.: I'll take care of it.

Credere a and pensare a both take a, so the idea becomes ci.

Ne for Quantities

Quanti anni hai? Ne ho trenta.: How old are you? I'm thirty.
Vuoi del pane? Sì, ne prendo un pezzo.: Do you want some bread? Yes, I'll have a piece.
Ho comprato delle mele e ne ho mangiate due.: I bought some apples and I ate two of them.

When the noun is not repeated after a number or an amount, ne takes its place.

Ne With Di

Hai sentito la notizia? Tutti ne parlano.: Have you heard the news? Everyone's talking about it.
Ti serve la macchina? Sì, ne ho bisogno domani.: Do you need the car? Yes, I need it tomorrow.

Parlare di and avere bisogno di both take di, so the thing becomes ne.

How Ci and Ne Work

Choose by the preposition, then place the pronoun like any other unstressed pronoun.

Ci vs Ne: Choosing the Right One

Start from the preposition. If the phrase you replace begins with a or in, or it is a place you go to or are in, use ci. If it begins with di, or it is an amount of something, use ne.

Credi ai fantasmi? No, non ci credo. Hai paura dei fantasmi? No, non ne ho paura.

Do you believe in ghosts? No, I don't believe in them. Are you afraid of ghosts? No, I'm not afraid of them.

a → ci, di → ne.

Ne Keeps the Number

When you replace a noun after a number or a quantity word (molto, poco, tanti, un chilo), ne replaces the noun and the number stays after the verb. English can drop the noun (they have three), but Italian must add ne.

Quanti figli hanno? Ne hanno tre.

How many children do they have? They have three.

ne + verb + number.

Placement

Ci and ne go before the conjugated verb. They attach to the end of infinitives, gerunds, and informal affirmative commands: andarci, parlarne, prendine.

Devo parlarne con mia madre.

I need to talk to my mother about it.

parlare → parlarne.

Agreement With Ne in Compound Tenses

When ne stands for a quantity of a direct object, the past participle agrees with the noun that ne replaces. When ne means of it or about it, the participle stays in -o: ne abbiamo parlato.

Le lettere? Ne ho scritte cinque.

The letters? I've written five of them.

ne ho scritte (lettere) cinque.

Ci and Ne Together: Ce Ne

Before another unstressed pronoun, ci becomes ce. The most common pair is ce ne: ce ne sono (there are some) and ce n'è (there is some).

C'è del latte? Sì, ce n'è ancora un po'.

Is there any milk? Yes, there's still a little.

ci + ne = ce ne.

Common Mistakes with Ci and Ne

Incorrect: Hai sorelle? Sì, ho due. (Do you have sisters? Yes, I have two.)

Correct: Hai sorelle? Sì, ne ho due. (Do you have sisters? Yes, I have two.)

English lets the number stand alone. Italian needs ne to stand for the noun you are not repeating.

Incorrect: Ne penso spesso. (I think about it often.)

Correct: Ci penso spesso. (I think about it often.)

Pensare a (to think about) takes a, so the pronoun is ci. Ne appears with pensare only when it means to have an opinion of: che ne pensi?

Incorrect: Le mele? Ne ho mangiato tre. (The apples? I ate three of them.)

Correct: Le mele? Ne ho mangiate tre. (The apples? I ate three of them.)

When ne stands for a quantity, the participle agrees with the noun it replaces. Mele is feminine plural, so the participle is mangiate.

Incorrect: Ci ne sono molti. (There are a lot of them.)

Correct: Ce ne sono molti. (There are a lot of them.)

Ci changes to ce before ne, just as mi changes to me.

Verbs That Contain Ci and Ne

Some very common verbs include ci or ne as a fixed part of their meaning. Dictionaries list them with the pronoun attached.

Ci in Fixed Verbs

Volerci means to take (time or things), metterci means to take someone time, entrarci means to have to do with something, and farcela means to manage.

Ci vogliono due ore.: It takes two hours.
Quanto ci metti?: How long will it take you?
Io non c'entro.: It has nothing to do with me.
Ce la faccio.: I can manage.

Volerci agrees with what is needed: ci vuole un'ora, ci vogliono due ore.

Ne in Fixed Verbs

Andarsene means to leave, and ne appears in several fixed phrases where it means of it or about it.

Me ne vado.: I'm leaving.
Non ne posso più.: I can't take it anymore.
Ne vale la pena.: It's worth it.

In me ne vado, the reflexive mi becomes me before ne.

Quick Check: Ci and Ne

Complete each answer with ci, ne, or ce ne.

1. Vai in palestra oggi? Sì, ___ vado alle sei.

Answer: ci

A place you go to takes ci.

2. Quanti caffè bevi? ___ bevo tre al giorno.

Answer: Ne

A quantity takes ne.

3. Pensi mai all'estate? Sì, ___ penso sempre.

Answer: ci

Pensare a takes ci.

4. Avete parlato del problema? Sì, ___ abbiamo parlato.

Answer: ne

Parlare di takes ne, and the participle stays in -o.

5. C'è ancora pane? Sì, ___ è un po'.

Answer: Sì, ce n'è un po'.

Ci + ne becomes ce ne, and ne elides before è.

Ci and Ne FAQs

What is the difference between ci and ne in Italian?: Ci replaces a place or a phrase introduced by a: ci vado (I go there), ci penso (I think about it). Ne replaces a quantity or a phrase introduced by di: ne ho due (I have two), ne parlo (I talk about it). If you know which preposition the verb takes, you know which pronoun to use.
What does ne mean in Italian?: Ne usually means some, any, of it, of them, or about it. It replaces a noun after a quantity (ne voglio un chilo, I want a kilo of it) or a phrase with di (ne abbiamo parlato, we talked about it). It also appears in fixed verbs such as andarsene, to leave.
What does ci mean in Italian?: Ci has several jobs. It means there (ci vado), it replaces a phrase with a (ci credo, I believe it), it is the object pronoun us (ci chiamano, they call us), and it is the reflexive pronoun for noi (ci alziamo, we get up). It also forms c'è and ci sono, there is and there are.
Does the past participle agree with ne?: Yes, when ne stands for a quantity of something: ne ho mangiate tre (three apples), ne ho comprati due (two books). When ne means about it or of it, the participle stays in -o: ne abbiamo parlato.
What do ce n'è and ce ne sono mean?: They mean there is some and there are some. Ci becomes ce before ne, and ne becomes n' before è. C'è del caffè? Sì, ce n'è means Is there any coffee? Yes, there is. Ce ne sono tre means There are three of them.