Ci vs Ne in Italian: What They Mean (and How to Use Them) + Examples

Italian learners eventually hit a wall where the grammar is “mostly fine”… but native Italian still feels slippery.

Two of the biggest culprits are ci and ne. They’re short, frequent, and wildly flexible.

First: what are ci and ne?

They’re both clitic pronouns — small pronouns that attach to the verb.

• ci often relates to there / to it / about it / us (depending on the pattern)
• ne often relates to of it / some / from there

The good news: you don’t need every meaning on day one. You need the high-frequency patterns.

How to use CI (the most common meanings)

1) CI = “there” (a place)

• Ci vado domani. — I’m going there tomorrow.
• Ci siamo stati. — We’ve been there.
• Non ci abito. — I don’t live there.

2) CI with essere: c’è / ci sono

One of the first Italian phrases you should master:

• C’è un problema. — There is a problem.
• Ci sono due posti. — There are two seats.

3) CI = “about it” (when the verb takes a / di / su)

In English we often say “about it” explicitly. In Italian, ci often does the work.

• Ci penso. — I’ll think about it. (literally: I think on it)
• Non ci credo. — I don’t believe it.
• Ci tengo. — I care about it / It matters to me.

How to use NE (the most common meanings)

1) NE = “some / any (of it/them)”

Ne is very common when you’re talking about quantities.

• Ne vuoi un po’? — Do you want some?
• Ne ho tre. — I have three (of them).
• Non ne ho. — I don’t have any.

2) NE = “of it” (a part of something)

• Ne parliamo dopo. — We’ll talk about it later. (literally: we talk of it)
• Che ne pensi? — What do you think about it?

3) NE = “from there”

• Ne vengo ora. — I’m coming from there now.

CI vs NE: quick contrast examples

These pairs help your brain build the right category:

• Ci vado. — I’m going there.
• Ne vengo. — I’m coming from there.

• Ci penso. — I’ll think about it.
• Ne parlo. — I talk about it.

Where do they go in the sentence?

Most of the time:

• ci / ne comes before the conjugated verb: ci vado, ne ho, ci penso
• With an infinitive, it can attach to the end: andarci (to go there), pensarci (to think about it), parlarne (to talk about it)

Mini practice

1. Translate: “There’s a pharmacy near here.”
2. Translate: “Do you have any?” (talking about tickets)
3. Choose: (Ci / Ne) penso domani.
4. Choose: (Ci / Ne) ho due.

Tip: write 5 sentences you actually say in your life, and test whether ci or ne makes sense. These words are learned by pattern, not by memorizing one definition.