Test on the Pronouns CI and NE: Put Your Italian to the Test

Do you know that nice feeling of confidence when you speak Italian… that vanishes the exact moment you have to decide whether to use CI or NE? «Ci penso» or «ne penso»? «Ci parlo» or «ne parlo»? If a small doubt (or a headache) has just hit you, you’re in the right place. Because today I won’t just explain the theory: today I’ll put you to the test with a complete test of 38 questions, divided into three parts plus a final challenge!

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How Well Do You Know the Italian Particles CI and NE?

CI and NE are two of the most feared particles by those who study Italian: tiny, yet capable of putting even advanced-level students in crisis. At the end of this test you’ll know exactly where you stand and — above all — you’ll understand the why of every single answer. The test is divided into three parts, from the easiest to the most difficult: first multiple choice questions, then fill-in exercises, and finally sentences to transform. Pen and paper at the ready!

For an in-depth look, you can check out the guide on the particella CI and the one on the particella NE.

When to Use CI

CI is used above all to indicate a place (“Vai a Roma? Sì, CI vado” [Are you going to Rome? Yes, I’m going]) and to replace things introduced by the preposizioni A and CON with certain verbs: pensare A qualcosa, credere A qualcosa, riuscire A fare qualcosa, parlare CON qualcuno.

• “Pensi all’esame?” → “CI penso.” [Are you thinking about the exam? → I’m thinking about it.]
• “Riesci a finire il lavoro?” → “CI riesco.” [Can you manage to finish the work? → I can do it.]

When to Use NE

NE instead expresses a quantity or a part and replaces things introduced by the preposition DI: parlare DI, avere bisogno DI, avere voglia DI, pensare DI (that is, having an opinion).

• “Quanti caffè bevi?” → “NE bevo due.” [How many coffees do you drink? → I drink two.]
• “Hai voglia di pizza?” → “NE ho voglia!” [Do you feel like pizza? → I feel like it!]

The Deadly Trap: Pensare A vs Pensare DI

Keep this last point in mind, because it’s a deadly trap: pensare A → CI (to reflect on something); pensare DI → NE (to have an opinion). Compare: “Penso spesso a te” [I often think about you] (→ CI: ci penso) but “Cosa pensi di lui?” [What do you think of him?] (→ NE: cosa ne pensi).

Part 1 — Multiple Choice

Choose the correct option.

1. «Vai spesso in biblioteca?» «Sì, ___ vado quasi ogni giorno.» [Do you often go to the library? Yes, I go almost every day.]
   A) ne B) ci C) lo
2. «Quante lingue parli?» «___ parlo tre.» [How many languages do you speak? I speak three.]
   A) Ci B) Ne C) Le
3. «Pensi mai al tuo futuro?» «Certo che ___ penso!» [Do you ever think about your future? Of course I think about it!]
   A) ci B) ne C) gli
4. «Hai bisogno di aiuto con la valigia?» «Sì, ___ ho proprio bisogno.» [Do you need help with the suitcase? Yes, I really need it.]
   A) ci B) la C) ne
5. «Quanto tempo ___ vuole per arrivare in centro a piedi?» [How much time does it take to get to the center on foot?]
   A) ne B) si C) ci
6. «Hai visto il nuovo ristorante giapponese? E allora, cosa ___ pensi?» [Have you seen the new Japanese restaurant? So, what do you think?]
   A) ci B) ne C) lo
7. «Credi all’oroscopo?» «Ma no, non ___ credo per niente!» [Do you believe in horoscopes? No, I don’t believe in it at all!]
   A) ne B) ci C) lo
8. «Quante valigie porti di solito in vacanza?» «___ porto due.» [How many suitcases do you usually bring on vacation? I bring two.]
   A) Ci B) Le C) Ne
9. «Vai dal medico oggi pomeriggio?» «Sì, ___ vado alle quattro.» [Are you going to the doctor this afternoon? Yes, I’m going at four.]
   A) ne B) gli C) ci
10. «Hai paura dei ragni?» «Altroché, ___ ho una paura tremenda!» [Are you afraid of spiders? You bet, I’m terribly afraid of them!]
    A) ci B) li C) ne

Have you answered everything? Perfect!

Solutions Part 1

• 1. → B. “Sì, CI vado quasi ogni giorno.” Because “in biblioteca” indicates a place, and for places we always use CI. Easy, right? It was just to warm you up.
• 2. → B. “NE parlo tre.” Here we’re talking about a quantity — three languages — and quantity is the realm of NE. Little trick: if the answer contains a number or a quantity (two, three, many, few, a bit…), 99% of the time the correct particle is NE.
• 3. → A. “Certo che CI penso!” The verb is “pensare A qualcosa”, and remember what I told you? Pensare A → CI. Write it down, because it’ll come in handy soon…
• 4. → C. “Sì, NE ho proprio bisogno.” The verb is “avere bisogno DI qualcosa”, and the preposition DI takes us straight to NE.
• 5. → C. “Quanto tempo CI vuole…” Here a special verb comes into play, volerci, which we use to express the time (or things) needed to do something. Watch out: did you notice? There’s a quantity of time, yet the particle is CI, not NE! For more details, there’s a dedicated guide on volerci and metterci.
• 6. → B. “Cosa NE pensi?” And here the trap snaps! In question 3 “pensare” wanted CI, here it wants NE. Why? Because this time “pensare” means “to have an opinion”, and an opinion is expressed with “pensare DI qualcosa” → NE.
• 7. → B. “Non CI credo per niente!” The verb is “credere A qualcosa” → CI. Same family as “pensare a”: the preposition A takes us to CI.
• 8. → C. “NE porto due.” Again a quantity (two suitcases) → NE. By now you know this trick: number or quantity in the answer? Think NE right away.
• 9. → C. “Sì, CI vado alle quattro.” “Andare dal medico” indicates a destination, a place → CI. Watch out for the distractor “gli”: we’d use it with “parlare a qualcuno” (gli parlo), but here the verb is “andare”, so CI.
• 10. → C. “NE ho una paura tremenda!” The verb is “avere paura DI qualcosa” → NE. The preposition DI, as always, calls for NE.

Part 2 — Fill in with CI or NE

No more options now: you have to write the correct particles yourself. Difficulty rising!

1. «Sei mai stata in Norvegia?» «No, non ___ sono mai stata, ma ___ ho sentito parlare benissimo.» [Have you ever been to Norway? No, I’ve never been there, but I’ve heard great things about it.]
2. «Vuoi della torta?» «Volentieri, ___ prendo una fetta.» [Do you want some cake? Gladly, I’ll have a slice.]
3. «Riesci a risolvere questo indovinello?» «Tranquilla, ___ riesco!» [Can you solve this riddle? Don’t worry, I can do it!]
4. «Hai parlato con il direttore?» «Sì, ___ ho parlato stamattina.» [Have you spoken with the director? Yes, I spoke this morning.]
5. «Hai voglia di uscire stasera?» «A dire il vero, non ___ ho molta…» [Do you feel like going out tonight? To be honest, I don’t really feel like it…]
6. «Quante mail hai ricevuto oggi?» «Mamma mia, ___ ho ricevute più di cinquanta!» [How many emails did you receive today? Goodness, I received more than fifty!]
7. «Tieni molto a questo vecchio orologio?» «Sì, ___ tengo tantissimo!» [Do you care a lot about this old watch? Yes, I care a lot about it!]
8. «Quanto zucchero metti nel tè?» «___ metto solo un cucchiaino.» [How much sugar do you put in your tea? I only put a teaspoon.]
9. «Sei mai stato a Venezia?» «Sì, ___ sono stato l’estate scorsa.» [Have you ever been to Venice? Yes, I was there last summer.]
10. «Sei sicura di voler cambiare lavoro?» «Sì, ___ sono proprio sicura.» [Are you sure you want to change jobs? Yes, I’m really sure.]

Done? Let’s see if you got it!

Solutions Part 2

• 1. → CI / NE. “Non CI sono mai stata” (in Norvegia = place → CI), “ma NE ho sentito parlare benissimo” (sentire parlare DI qualcosa → NE). Two different particles in the same sentence: see how they peacefully coexist?
• 2. → NE. “NE prendo una fetta” — there’s a quantity (a slice) → NE.
• 3. → CI. “Tranquilla, CI riesco!” — the verb “riuscire A fare qualcosa” → CI. Same story with “provare a”: “ci provo”.
• 4. → CI. “Sì, CI ho parlato stamattina” — “parlare CON qualcuno” → CI. Fun fact: in spoken and informal Italian, “ci ho” tends to merge into a single sound (something like cio); you hear it very often also in “ce l’ho” or “ce l’hai”.
• 5. → NE. “Non NE ho molta…” — the verb is “avere voglia DI” → NE. (Implied: non ne ho molta voglia.)
• 6. → NE. “NE ho ricevute più di cinquanta!” — quantity → NE. But did you notice? I wrote “ricevute” and not “ricevuto”. Because when NE indicates a quantity and refers to the direct object, the participio passato agrees in gender and number with the noun NE refers to. “Le mail” is feminine plural → ricevute.
• 7. → CI. “Sì, CI tengo tantissimo!” — the verb “tenerci a qualcosa” means to give great importance to something → CI. (Don’t confuse it with “tenere” = to hold in your hand!)
• 8. → NE. “NE metto solo un cucchiaino.” — quantity of sugar → NE. Here “mettere” means “to add”, and quantity calls for NE.
• 9. → CI. “Sì, CI sono stato l’estate scorsa.” — “a Venezia” is a place → CI. And “stato” agrees with the subject, not with CI.
• 10. → NE. “Sì, NE sono proprio sicura.” — the verb is “essere sicuri DI qualcosa” → NE. The usual story: the preposition DI → NE.

Part 3 — Transform the Sentences

Last part before the challenge! Rewrite each sentence replacing the part in bold with CI or NE.

1. Vado in palestra tre volte a settimana. [I go to the gym three times a week.]
2. Ho mangiato due fette di pizza. (attenzione all’accordo!) [I ate two slices of pizza. (watch out for the agreement!)]
3. Non credo agli oroscopi. [I don’t believe in horoscopes.]
4. Abbiamo bisogno di una settimana di vacanza. [We need a week of vacation.]
5. A tavola parliamo sempre di calcio. [At the table we always talk about soccer.]
6. Vado in centro quasi ogni giorno. [I go downtown almost every day.]
7. Ho letto tre libri questo mese. (occhio all’accordo!) [I read three books this month. (watch out for the agreement!)]
8. Non ho voglia di cucinare stasera. [I don’t feel like cooking tonight.]
9. Non penso mai alle cose negative. [I never think about negative things.]

Did you try? Let’s see the solutions!

Solutions Part 3

• 1. “CI vado tre volte a settimana.” (in palestra = place → CI)
• 2. “NE ho mangiate due.” (quantity → NE; and agreed participle: “fette” feminine plural → mangiate)
• 3. “Non CI credo.” (credere A qualcosa → CI)
• 4. “NE abbiamo bisogno.” (avere bisogno DI → NE)
• 5. “A tavola NE parliamo sempre.” (parlare DI → NE)
• 6. “CI vado quasi ogni giorno.” (in centro = place → CI)
• 7. “NE ho letti tre.” (quantity → NE; “libri” masculine plural → letti)
• 8. “Non NE ho voglia stasera.” (avere voglia DI → NE)
• 9. “Non CI penso mai.” (pensare A qualcosa → CI)

The Final Challenge — Complete the Dialogue

Here’s the last exercise, the hardest one! Here CI and NE get mixed up in a dialogue, and you’ll have to recognize on the fly which one is needed, sentence by sentence. There are the classic cases (place, quantity), but also the most insidious situations: the infinitive verb to which the particle attaches (for example: mangiare → mangiarne) and, above all, the pair that makes everyone fall — pensare a (→ CI) versus pensare di (→ NE). Eyes open!

Complete the dialogue:

• Anna: “Pensi ancora a quella torta della nonna?” [Are you still thinking about grandma’s cake?]
• Bruno: “___ (1) penso da giorni! Proviamo a farla?” [I’ve been thinking about it for days! Shall we try to make it?]
• Anna: “Volentieri! Quante uova ___ (2) vogliono?” [Gladly! How many eggs are needed?]
• Bruno: “Sei. Quante ___ (3) hai in frigo?” [Six. How many do you have in the fridge?]
• Anna: “Solo due. Dovremo comprar___ (4) altre quattro.” [Only two. We’ll have to buy four more.]
• Bruno: “E di farina? ___ (5) abbiamo abbastanza?” [And flour? Do we have enough?]
• Anna: “Sì, di quella siamo a posto. Senti, ma di questa ricetta nuova cosa ___ (6) pensi?” [Yes, we’re good with that. Listen, but what do you think about this new recipe?]
• Bruno: “Mi piace! Non vedo l’ora. Al supermercato però ___ (7) vai tu, eh?” [I like it! Can’t wait. But you go to the supermarket, eh?]
• Anna: “Va bene, ___ (8) vado io nel pomeriggio.” [Okay, I’ll go in the afternoon.]
• Bruno: “Perfetto. Io intanto preparo gli stampi: a questa torta ___ (9) tengo troppo!” [Perfect. Meanwhile I’ll prepare the pans: I care too much about this cake!]

Ready? Let’s see the solutions together.

Solutions of the Final Challenge

• (1) → CI. “CI penso da giorni!” The verb is “pensare A qualcosa” (the cake) → CI.
• (2) → CI. “Quante uova CI vogliono?” Here we have volerci (= to be needed, to be necessary): impersonal, makes “ci vuole” / “ci vogliono”. The eggs are already named, so CI is enough.
• (3) → NE. “Quante NE hai in frigo?” Quantity → NE: “ne” replaces “di uova” (Quante uova hai? → Quante ne hai?).
• (4) → NE. “Dovremo comprarNE altre quattro.” Always quantity → NE. And notice: with the infinitive verb (comprare), the particle attaches to the end → comprar-ne.
• (5) → NE. “Di farina NE abbiamo abbastanza?” The part “di farina” → NE (partitive). The preposition DI, as always, calls for NE.
• (6) → NE. “Cosa NE pensi?” Here “pensare” means “to have an opinion” → pensare DI → NE. Watch out: it’s exactly the opposite of point 1, where it was pensare A → CI! This is the most classic trap of all.
• (7) → CI. “Al supermercato CI vai tu?” Going to a place (to the supermarket) → CI. Like “ci vado”, “ci sono stato”.
• (8) → CI. “CI vado io nel pomeriggio.” Same place, same particle: going there → CI.
• (9) → CI. “A questa torta CI tengo troppo!” The verb “tenerci a qualcosa” means to give great importance to something → CI.

Summary Table of the Rules

Here’s a table that summarizes all the main cases of CI and NE encountered in the test.

Case	Particle	Example
Place	CI	“Vado in palestra” [I go to the gym] → “CI vado”
Quantity	NE	“Bevo due caffè” [I drink two coffees] → “NE bevo due”
Pensare A (to reflect)	CI	“Penso al futuro” [I think about the future] → “CI penso”
Pensare DI (opinion)	NE	“Cosa pensi di lui?” [What do you think of him?] → “Cosa NE pensi?”
Credere A	CI	“Credo all’oroscopo” [I believe in horoscopes] → “CI credo”
Parlare DI	NE	“Parliamo di calcio” [We talk about soccer] → “NE parliamo”
Parlare CON	CI	“Parlo con Marco” [I speak with Marco] → “CI parlo”
Avere bisogno DI	NE	“Ho bisogno di aiuto” [I need help] → “NE ho bisogno”
Avere voglia DI	NE	“Ho voglia di pizza” [I feel like pizza] → “NE ho voglia”
Avere paura DI	NE	“Ho paura dei ragni” [I’m afraid of spiders] → “NE ho paura”
Essere sicuri DI	NE	“Sono sicura di questo” [I’m sure of this] → “NE sono sicura”
Riuscire A	CI	“Riesco a finire” [I manage to finish] → “CI riesco”
Tenerci A	CI	“Tengo all’orologio” [I care about the watch] → “CI tengo”
Volerci (time/things needed)	CI	“Ci vuole un’ora” [It takes an hour]

Your Total Score

Have you counted how many correct answers you gave out of the 38 total? Here’s the table to discover your level!

Score	Your level	What to do now
35-38 correct answers	Phenomenal! CI and NE no longer have secrets for you.	You’re ready for the C1/C2 level!
28-34 correct answers	Excellent work, you just need a bit more practice with the trickiest cases.	Focus on the pair pensare a vs pensare di.
20-27 correct answers	You understood the basics, but you need to consolidate.	Review the rules and retake the test in a few days.
Less than 20 correct answers	No problem, you’re at the beginning of the journey!	Study the theory of CI and NE well, then retake this test.

Frequently Asked Questions

What’s the Difference between “Ci Penso” and “Ne Penso”?

It’s the most classic trap! “Ci penso” derives from “pensare A qualcosa” and means to reflect on something: “Pensi all’esame?” → “Sì, ci penso.” “Ne penso” instead derives from “pensare DI qualcosa” and means to have an opinion: “Cosa pensi di questo libro?” → “Cosa ne pensi?” Mnemonic trick: if you can substitute with “what opinion do you have?”, use NE; if the sentence implies “I reflect on…”, use CI.

Why Do We Say “Ne Ho Mangiate Due” and Not “Ne Ho Mangiato Due”?

Because when NE indicates a quantity and replaces a direct object, the participio passato agrees in gender and number with the noun NE refers to. “Quante fette di pizza hai mangiato? NE ho mangiate due” (“fette” is feminine plural → mangiate). Same mechanism with “Quanti libri hai letto? NE ho letti tre” (“libri” is masculine plural → letti). A detail that impresses any native speaker!

When “Ci” Indicates a Place, How Does It Work Exactly?

When you want to replace a place already mentioned, you use CI. It works with any preposition of place: “a Roma”, “in palestra”, “dal medico”, “al supermercato”… all become CI. “Vai a Roma?” → “Sì, ci vado.” “Sei mai stata in Norvegia?” → “No, non ci sono mai stata.” It also works for abstract places: “Penso al tuo problema”… but watch out, here it’s no longer “place”: it’s “pensare a” (verb + preposition A) → CI.

What Are “Volerci” and “Metterci”?

They are two special verbs that use the CI particle built-in. “Volerci” is impersonal (always in the third person) and indicates the time or things needed to do something: “Ci vuole un’ora per arrivare”, “Ci vogliono due uova”. “Metterci”, instead, is conjugated with all persons and indicates the time taken by someone: “Io ci metto un’ora”, “Tu ci metti due ore”. So: “ci vuole tempo” (in general) vs “io ci metto tempo” (personal).

How Do CI and NE Attach to Infinitive Verbs?

With verbs in the infinitive, in the imperative and in the gerund, the particles CI and NE attach to the end of the verb: “comprare” + “ne” = “comprarne“; “andare” + “ci” = “andarci“; “pensa” + “ci” = “pensaci!”. Examples: “Devo comprarne altre due”, “Voglio andarci subito”, “Pensaci bene!” In the other tenses, instead, the particles go before the conjugated verb: “Ci penso io”, “Ne compro due”.

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Exercise: The Italian Particles CI and NE

Test your knowledge of the particles CI and NE: places, quantities, and the trickiest cases in Italian grammar. Free exercise for students of Italian.

Question 1 of 10

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