How “c’è” and “ci sono”are used in Italian? What does they mean? If you are not sure, watch this lesson until the end and we are sure you will have no more doubts!
C’È and CI SONO: meaning and use
C’È and CI SONO are expressions that indicate the presence of something or someone in a given place.
C’È is used with a singular subject
Example:
Oggi c’è il sole. (There’s sunlight today)
CI SONO is used with a plural subject.
Example:
Nella macedonia ci sono molti frutti. (In the fruit salad, there are many fruits)
The same expressions can be used in the interrogative form and in the negative form:
INTERROGATIVE FORM: You only need to change the intonation of your voice
Example:
C’è il sole oggi? (Is there sunlight today?)
Ci sono ancora i formaggi nel frigo? (Are there cheeses in the fridge?)
NEGATIVE FORM: NON + c’è / ci sono
Example:
Non c’è il sole oggi. (There isn’t sunlight today)
Non ci sono più i formaggi. (There are no more cheeses)
N.B.
Ci sono ancora i formaggi? (Are there still cheeses?)
When we use the word “ancora” in questions, we want to point out that for a certain amount of time we knew that something (or someone) was in a certain place; with the question we want to know if it is still in that place.
Ci sono ancora i formaggi? → For a certain period of time the cheeses were here. Are they still here, in this moment?
To give an affermative answer, we will use ancora:
Sì, ci sono ancora. (Yes, there are still some left)
To give a negative answer, we will use più:
No, non ci sono più. (No, there are no more left)
Deepen your knowledge of “già” and “ancora”!
Obviously, the two expressions “c’è” and “ci sono“can be conjugated in all the tenses and moods, you only need to conjugate the verb “essere”(to be) in the right way.
Example:
Ci sarà anche Sara al mio compleanno domani. (There will also be Sara at my birthday party tomorrow)
Penso che ci siano troppi errori nel tuo esame. (I think that there are too many mistakes in your exam)
Ieri c’era il vento ma oggi no. (There was the wind yesterday, but not today)
And so on.
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Excellent explanition! I’m Argentinian so my mother tongue is Spanish but I am a teacher of English as a SL. I have been studying Italian fo only three months and yesterday someone sent me the link to your page. Congratulations and thank you!