Italian is full of little particles like ci and ne that completely change the meaning of verbs. One of the most common, and fun, pronominal verbs you’ll hear in everyday conversations is: PROVARCI.
What does provarci mean?
Ci provo = I make a move (on someone)
Colloquially, provarci means “to make a move” on someone, to flirt, or to hit on someone.
It is often used with the preposition con.
- Marco ci prova sempre con le ragazze nuove.
(Marco always flirts with the new girls.)
Conjugation
Since provarci is a pronominal verb, you conjugate provare and add the pronoun ci.
The ci precedes the verb when conjugated, and it is invariable.
Present tense
- Io ci provo
- Tu ci provi
- Lui/lei ci prova
- Noi ci proviamo
- Voi ci provate
- Loro ci provano
Past tense (passato prossimo)
- Lui ci ha provato con me! → He made a move on me!
Examples in context
- Tu ci provi con lei? → Are you hitting on her?
- Finalmente ci ha provato con lei. → He finally made a move on her.
Ci provo = I’ll give it a try
Be careful! Ci provo doesn’t always mean flirting.
- Ci provo! → I’ll give it a try!
This is a very common use in colloquial Italian. Here, ci is used together with the verb provare (to try) as a pronoun that replaces the thing you are attempting.
- Dobbiamo provarci. → We have to give it a try.
- Ci proviamo. → We’ll give it a try.
Recap
- provare = to try or to feel.
- provarci (pronominal verb) = to make a move / flirt.
- ci provo! = I’ll give it a try.
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