"I cannot believe it."
Translation:Non ci posso credere.
73 CommentsThis discussion is locked.
I understand the other uses of "ci." However, can anyone explain when it can be used for "it"? thanks!
Duo now (21 March 13) offers two options: non lo posso credere and non ci posso credere
I do not recommend using "lo" in this case. People have said it is wrong to use it with credere.
Yep, all the translations you said above are acceptable with lo, but there's also "non ci credo" that is ok while "non lo credo" isn't. Ci is much preferrable.
Go one confuse me even more! However had this been an option I would have used it. Thankyou
I would have used "lo" if it had been an option I can't remember having seen "ci" used in this context, but thankyou for the explanation.
I can't understand your question. There is no "it" in Italian, everything has a gender. "Ci" is used for "a noi" (to us), "a qualcosa/ a qualche posto" (to something/ to some place).
There is definitely "it" in Italian. The sentence structures between English and Italian are different but this does not mean that Italian does not have or use the word "it." For example, in É difficile the "it" is understood, but in l'ho comprato or l'ha comprata, lo and la mean "it," while indicating the gender and number.
Ci has multiple uses, the most common being there and us.
i think what juliap meant is that even though we translate phrases to 'it' (because it's the correct way of expressing it in English), such a gender neutral form does not actually exist in Italian! Every English 'it' is actually expressed by either a masculine or a feminine pronoun in Italian, even if we don't directly translate it that way.
But I agree that that's not acutally relevant for Amuglot's question, which makes perfect sense. ;)
I'm not sure if there are any rules as such for this but I too have found this confusing. My dictionary gives uses both in the context of "to us" and "it." I guess it might just be one of those things you get a feel for eventually. Any experts out there to help further please?
Ci here is for, "to that" or "that". So this sentence basically translates as, "That I cannot believe."
"Non ci credo" is not "I cannot believe it" but, strictly speaking, "I don't believe it".
584
@ivovolt It's "non ci posso credere" (I can't believe it), not "non ci credo" (I don't believe it), similar, but not the same thing.
This phrase is quite common with Italians in my experience, which helps to remember it and the construction - it often seems a stock phrase.
Yes, the direct object pronoun must either precede the auxiliary verb (eg 'lo posso credere') or attach to the infinitive (eg 'posso crederlo'). The possible options using the combination of words you provided:
- Non lo posso credere.
- Non posso crederlo.
Hope this helps!
- 1859
My guess would be this means more, 'I can't believe', rather than, 'I can't believe IT' - maybe more philosophical than specific!?
- 12
Because the object misses. This means 'I can't believe'. I don't know if in English is correct, but in Italian it is not
Am, DL accepts both ci and lo but I can't tell the difference between ci and lo...
My Italian partner explained like this; both is true grammatically; to use "lo" and "ci" here but using "lo" is very unusual, as "non lo posso credere" comes very wired to his ear. The common, daily use is "non ci posse credere".
I read somewhere that 'ci' refers to something that was mentioned before. In this example, you are saying that you can't believe it. The 'it' is something that was mentioned before. So we use 'ci' to refer to it. Therefore the sentence becomes: Non CI posso credere.
- 12
It's not correct in Italian, because the idiomatic expression is credere a qualcosa (the object). Non lo credo would mean credere qualcosa, which isn't correct.
What is the difference between Non *ci * posso credere. and Non lo posso credere.?
So, non ci posso credere AND non lo posso credere both meanI can't believe it. Is that correct?
Can anyone explain the positioning of ci? Have to say i am struggling with clitics - no clear reason for their position in sentences nor which one to use. I need some clear comprehensive grammar notes do i can get my head round it.
In this syntax I don't understand the "ci" shouldn't it be "lo" (lo for it)?
The only words that were available were wrong. Non, Credo, Credere, Ci.
How does "non ci credo" become "i couldn't believe it"? What about pottere and how is ci right here? I would read this as "i don't believe us"??
- 584
Non ci posso credere! Aldo from Aldo, Giovanni e Giacomo. Not many people will be able to understand what I'm saying, but many Italians do. It's just a joke, nothing else...
What is wrong with "Non posso crederci." If nothing I suggest it be added.
- 584
@youdontneedlegs "Posso" is "I can", "può" is "he, she, it can". The verb is "potere"... (io posso... tu puoi... lui, lei, esso, essa and so on, può... noi possiamo... voi potete... loro possono). I'm not good to explain, but hope it helps.
It would be very helpful if we could hear the pronunciation of these sentences. I catch myself trying to visualize how they look, which is ok and good for reading the language but I probably wouldn't understand the phrase if spoken to me
Can someone clarify why this sentence "I cannot believe it" has potere and credere as part of it and yet in a previous sentence "I cannot do it" potere was not accepted?
Duo just take the hints out, whats the point of them if half the time none of the options are right?
Not fair because you havent yet introduced the use of infinitives. Bad pedagogy!
"Non ne credono" was wrong. I thought ne could be used for 'it'? I really don't understand this lesson subject
- 483
So now you expect a compound response to a modal phase and mark a simple version, "Non lo credo" wrong. Whereas in a previous clitics lesson I was marked wrong because I tried to reflect the complexity of a compound verb, "I am going to cook..." instead of using simple present tense. Please allow simplified responses to phases we won't covering until many lessons ahead.
- 589
I hate this god damn lesson. Ive been stuck on it for over a week in level 3 because i keep losing all of my hearts
