Say “there is”: c’è and ci sono

c’è: there is (one thing)

C’è means there is. It’s ci + è squeezed together, and you use it for one thing: one café, one bathroom, one bus.

Write it with both marks: the apostrophe and the accent on the è. Ce, without them, is a different word, and for there is the two parts join up: write c’è, not ci è.

To ask a question, you don’t change the words at all. Just let your voice go up at the end: C’è un bar qui?

C’è sounds like the start of English chess: one short syllable.

ci sono: there are (more than one)

For two or more things, use ci sono: ci + sono (they are). These two words stay apart, with no apostrophe.

Choose by looking at what comes after the verb: one thing takes c’è, more than one takes ci sono. Watch out for nouns that don’t change in the plural, like bar, città and autobus. In due bar, the number is what tells you it’s plural.

Milk, lists and “any”

Things you don’t count, like latte, acqua, zucchero and pane, are singular, so they take c’è: C’è latte? English adds any or some here. Italian doesn’t need a word for it: Ci sono negozi? simply means Are there any shops?

A list of two or more things counts as more than one, so use ci sono: Ci sono due camere e un bagno. In everyday speech you’ll also hear c’è before a list that starts with one thing, but ci sono is always safe.

Saying there isn’t: non

Put non in front: non c’è, non ci sono. Ci and sono always stay together, so non never goes between them.

Use non, not no. No is the answer word (No, grazie), while non makes a verb negative. In a short answer you often get both: C’è latte? No, non c’è.

English There’s no sugar is simply Non c’è zucchero. You don’t need an extra word for no or any.

Words like qui and oggi can go first or last: Qui non c’è un bancomat and Non c’è un bancomat qui both work.

c’è or è? (and why not ha)

Without ci, the verb means something else. È on its own means it is, and sono means they are (or I am). È una farmacia is It’s a pharmacy: you’re saying what a building is. C’è una farmacia is There’s a pharmacy: you’re saying one exists.

Don’t reach for ha either. Ha means has, for owning things: Marco ha un cane. Spanish hay and French il y a come from verbs meaning have. Italian goes its own way here: it uses essere with ci.

ecco: here it is

Ecco points at something you can see, or hands it over: Ecco il caffè! (Here’s your coffee!). C’è only says that something exists, somewhere.

Ecco never changes: the same word works for one thing or many. It usually comes with il, la, i or le, because you’re pointing at a particular thing.

Ask yourself: am I pointing or handing it over? Then ecco. Am I saying it exists? Then c’è or ci sono.

c’è un…? or dov’è il…?

When you don’t know whether something exists, ask with c’è + un or una: C’è una farmacia qui? When you know it’s there and want to find it, ask dov’è + il or la: Dov’è la farmacia? In the plural, it’s ci sono + the noun with no article, and dove sono + i or le.

You’ll also hear c’è with a name, as in C’è Marco? (Is Marco there?) on the phone. For now, keep the simple pairs: c’è un, dov’è il.

At a friend’s flat you know there’s a bathroom, so ask Dov’è il bagno?, not C’è un bagno?

Common mistakes

• C’è tre farmacie.Ci sono tre farmacie.Three is more than one, so use ci sono.
• Ci sono un divano.C’è un divano.One thing takes c’è.
• Ce un bar qui?C’è un bar qui?C’è is ci + è: write the apostrophe and the accent.
• Sono due bar qui.Ci sono due bar qui.Sono alone means they are; there are needs ci.
• Ha un treno stasera?C’è un treno stasera?Ha means has; for is there, say c’è.
• Ci non sono treni.Non ci sono treni.Ci and sono stay together, so non goes in front of both.
• No c’è latte.Non c’è latte.Non makes a verb negative; no is only the answer word.

The full picture

Count first: one thing or more?

C’è is ci + è joined with an apostrophe. Don’t write ce: that’s a different word.

Don’t use ha for there is: ha means has.

To find a thing you know is there, ask dov’è: Dov’è il bagno?