Wondering why Italians say “ce l’ho” instead of just “l’ho”? Or why it’s “ce l’hai” and not simply “l’hai”? Bella domanda—this post will explain exactly why.
Ce l’ho / Non ce l’ho → I have it / I don’t have it
You may have heard the phrase “Ce l’ho” and wondered what it means—or more specifically, what the “ce” is doing there. Well, here’s the good news: while “ce” doesn’t carry a clear grammatical function in this case, it plays a key role in making the sentence sound smoother and more natural.
“Ce l’ho” translates to “I have it” or “I do” in response to the question “do you have it/this?”.
If you’ve been using just “l’ho”, that’s technically incorrect when expressing possession.
This added “ce” is used to avoid saying “l’ho” or “le ho”, which appears to be a difficult sound for Italians. So, we insert “ce” for ease of pronunciation and rhythm—something that likely developed to avoid cacophony (an unpleasant sound pattern).
This structure applies anytime the verb avere is preceded by the direct object pronouns lo, la, li, le. So phrases like “Ce l’ho” and “Non ce l’ho” simply express whether you have something—or not.
Examples:
- Hai un cane? → Ce l’ho! (Do you have a dog? → I have it!/ I do!)
- Hai una macchina? → Ce l’ho! – (Do you have a car? → Yes, I have it! /I do!)
- Hai le chiavi? → Non ce le ho!(Do you have the keys? → No, I don’t have them!)
- Avete tempo? → Non ce l’abbiamo! (Do you all have time? → No, we don’t!)
Conjugation of avere + ci
| Italian Singular Forms | 🇬🇧 | Italian Plural Forms | 🇬🇧 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ce l’ho | I have it | Ce li/le ho | I have them |
| Ce l’hai | You have it | Ce li/le hai | You have them |
| Ce l’ha | He/She has it | Ce li/le ha | He/She has them |
| Ce l’abbiamo | We have it | Ce li/le abbiamo | We have them |
| Ce l’avete | You all have it | Ce li/le avete | You all have them |
| Ce l’hanno | They have it | Ce li/le hanno | They have them |
English vs. Italian
In English, when someone asks if you have something, it’s common to reply using auxiliary verbs, as in: “Do you have the keys? Yes, I do.” In Italian, however, this structure isn’t used. Instead, the verb from the question is repeated in the response, as in: “Hai le chiavi? Sì, ce le ho” (Do you have the keys? Yes, I have them).
Ce l’ho con te! → I’m mad at you!
Let’s take it one step further: by adding the preposition “con” to “ce l’ho”, we get a completely new meaning.
The informal Italian phrase “ce l’ho con qualcuno” means “I’m upset with someone” or “I’m angry at someone.”
Example:
- Ce l’ho con il mio vicino di casa, perché parcheggia la sua macchina davanti al mio portone.
→ I’m angry with my neighbor because he parks his car in front of my door.
This verb form—avercela—shouldn’t be confused with avere in the sense of possession, because it’s always followed by “con” to indicate a personal grievance.
- Ce l’ho → I have it (verb “avere”)
- Ce l’ho con te → I’m mad at you (verb “avercela” > pronominal verb)
| Conjugation of “avercela” – Present Tense | 🇬🇧 |
|---|---|
| Ce l’ho con… | I’m mad at… |
| Ce l’hai con… | You’re mad at… |
| Ce l’ha con… | He/She is mad at… |
| Ce l’abbiamo con… | We’re mad at… |
| Ce l’avete con… | You all are mad at… |
| Ce l’hanno con… | They’re mad at… |
Test Your Italian
Not sure what your Italian level is? I’ve created a free online Italian test to help you determine it.Other meanings of ci
Don’t forget that ci has many different other functions, as follows:
| Uses of “Ci” | Examples | 🇬🇧 |
|---|---|---|
| Reflexive Pronoun | Ci svegliamo alle 6 | We wake up at six |
| Direct Object Pronoun | Ci conosci? | Do you know us? |
| Indirect Object Pronoun | Ci ha regalato un biglietto gratis per il concerto | She gave us a free ticket for the concert |
| Adverb of Place | Ci vado il prossimo mese | I’m going there next month |
| Forms “there is, there are” | C’è, ci sono | There is, there are |
Quick Practice:
