Andare, Andarsene and Andarci: The Difference

Let’s break down the differences between “me ne vado,” “vado,” and “ci vado.”

Vado (andare)

“Vado” means “I’m going” and is the most neutral of the three. It can stand alone when you’re simply stating that you’re going somewhere, without further details, or it’s used to indicate the action of going to a place.

Example:

• Vado al supermercato. (I’m going to the supermarket.)
• Vado a lezione. (I’m going to class.)
• Vado in montagna. (I’m going to the mountains) 

Me Ne Vado (andarsene)

“Me ne vado” means “I’m leaving,” “I’m going away,” or “I’m out of here.” It’s often used when someone is done with a situation or wants to emphasize that they’re leaving a particular place or environment.. It may suggest that the person is leaving for good or making a personal decision to leave.

The stem verb is “andarsene” which is a pronominal verb made up of andare (to go) + the reflexive pronoun (me, te, se, ce, ve.) + the pronoun ne (meaning “away from here”).

Example:

• Sono stanco, me ne vado. (I’m tired, I’m leaving.)
• Non ne posso più di questa città, me ne vado. (I can’t stand this city anymore, I’m leaving.)
• Marcello se n’è andato. (Marcello has left.)

Ci Vado (andarci)

“Ci vado” is a combination of the verb andare and the pronoun of place “ci,” which means “there.” “Ci” refers to a specific place mentioned earlier or understood in the conversation. “Ci vado” means “I’m going there,” implying that the listener already knows which place is being referred to.

Example:

• Hai detto che c’è una festa stasera. Ci vado anch’io!
  (“You said there’s a party tonight. I’m going there too!”)

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