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- "Certe persone non ci arrivan…
42 Comments
In this case "there", "in that place". There is also an idiomatic meaning: "Some people don't get it" (they can't understand / they're too stupid).
That is the frustrating thing about Ci... Sometimes you translate it, sometimes it seems to be unnecessary. I said "Certain people do not arrive" and it was wrong.. Grrrrr....
This is SUCH a better translation, SO much more useful - I need 'I don't get it' on a daily basis. Thanks, FF. Will you tell the owl, or should we? :)
Haha, glad you liked it :P Nowadays I can check the DB directly, and apparently it's accepted; it might show it to some as an alternative solution, but I don't really know how the system decides.
if you need to tell the owl anything, make sure you REPORT it not just write in the forum. the owl doesn't check the forum, he only reads report complaints
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Ok, my mistake was that I put "Qui", which seems to only be a spatial point, and cannot be used figuratively. Thanks a lot
Qui is here, ci is there but differently than "là/lì". Ci is like it for "the thing", it's a "pro-place" so to speak. So if you already mentioned a place you can substitute ci to it. Using là/lì (=there) is only used in emphatic statements or if you point to a place that is visible.
- 109
I know that this is an old question, but "ci" has given me a lot of problems. I've taken to keep a list of rules around the use of "ci" (and "ne"). The rule that I have that applies to this sentence: use "ci" to replace a mutually understood noun when used with a verb that is typically followed by the preposition, "a".
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In this case, "ci" replaces the name of the place (a noun) where people are trying "get". Both speakers know the place that they are talking about.
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It is being used with the verb "arrivare", which is often followed by the preposition "a", as in "noi arriviamo a una città."
Because this sentence meets both rules, "ci" can be used to replace the noun with the more generic equivalent of the word, "there/here/it/them/etc."
Although there might be an idiom that applies to this specific case, you'll be much better off in the long-run if you learn the rules for how to apply "ci"
Nope. Ci means "in the place I already told you about or I'm pointing to or am in any other way inferring to". Here is qui/qua and usually cannot come before the verb.
I respect what you say, @ilmolleggi. But my dictionary translates ci (sense 3) as either here or there - and puts here 1st!
I don't know. There might be some cases when it has here as an equivalent in English, but what I told you is the actual meaning native people understand. I just advise you not to learn it as here, since like 90% of the time it will not mean that. If you gave me some examples of when it should be here according to your dictionary I'd be glas to show you the aforementioned meaning applies too or that the here is an extended sense of it.
- 109
"ci" means whatever noun the speakers mutually understand that they are talking about - usually because it has just been mentioned. Often, that noun is so well understood by both speakers that in English we'll just leave it off. See @hgoldman2 's examples (e.g., Sono qui e ci resto - I'm here and I'm staying [here]).
So, if both speakers know that they are talking about the location where they are currently standing, then yes, "ci" can mean "here". It is a very generic word
- 1013
Is there anyway of knowing when 'ci' needs translating and when to, for the purposes of translation, simply ignore it?
It always needs translation. Can you give me an example wher you feel it should be ignored? I'm a native speaker and I'm willing to help but I need some context.
Yes but it has a stronger emphatic nuance, that is something like "they get there (and not here)" or "it's there they get to"
Ci sono qualcuno chi spieghi perché il verbo arrivare è eguale come andare..? Non capisco.
I'm native English, this sentence should translate as 'some people do not get IT', it's an idiom which means some people do not 'arrive' at the understanding. It's not literal 'get there' as in a place.
How come arrivano (to arrive) gets the meaning of "to get" here, I must say I'm confused.
EDIT: I get it now...
- 1284
Did anyone else get a translation of "certain people cannot get it" as the only correct choice? If this is correct, why is that?
Probably a dumb question, but when do I know whether "ci" is a pronoun or an adverb?
For clarity, because Duo insists on randomly lumping together the comments for different exercises in vaguely similar subjects: I was given a jumble of English words and told to translate the Italian sentence. "There" wasnt included. "It" was.
Surely the sense of "certain people dont get it" (either in terms of understanding something, or of receiving something) would be totally different sentences in Italian?
I certainly wouldnt think theyd use "arrivano".
Why is "certain people don't arrive there" wrong? Can someone explain this, please?
Reported an bug at 13.11.2020: the proposed meaning contain words which are not available. No translation formed by the available words is accepted. :( Can't finish the level...
