What do ce n’è and ce ne sono mean?
Both expressions translate as “there is / there are (of them)” in English.
- Ce n’è = there is (of it / of them)
- Ce ne sono = there are (of them)
The little word “ne” is important. It’s a pronoun that replaces something already mentioned, usually in terms of quantity, so you don’t need to repeat the noun. This use of ne is called the partitive ne, and it indicates “some of it / some of them.”
English vs Italian
There isn’t always a perfect translation in English. The closest way to understand it is:
- ce n’è → “there is some (of it / of them)”
- ce ne sono → “there are some (of them)”
For example:
- C’è del pane? – Sì, ce n’è.
= “Is there any bread? – Yes, there’s some.”
Ce n’è vs c’è
- C’è → there is
- Ce n’è → there is (of it / of them)
Example:
- C’è un gatto in giardino. → There’s a cat in the garden.
- Quanti gatti ci sono? – Ce n’è uno. → There’s one (of them).
Ce ne sono vs ci sono
- Ci sono → there are
- Ce ne sono → there are (of them)
Example:
- Ci sono molte sedie in cucina. → There are many chairs in the kitchen.
- Quante sedie ci sono? – Ce ne sono sei. → There are six (of them).
Examples in real life
At the bakery
- Quanti cornetti ci sono? → How many croissants are there?
- Ce n’è uno. → There’s one (of them).
- Ce ne sono tre. → There are three (of them).
👉 Notice how ne replaces cornetti. You don’t need to repeat the noun!
Viewing a house
- Quanti bagni ci sono? → How many bathrooms are there?
- Ce n’è uno. → There’s one.
- Ce ne sono due. → There are two.
Here too, ne replaces bagni.
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