Understanding Italian pronouns can sometimes feel like solving an intricate puzzle, and the Italian phrase CE L’HO is one that often confuses learners. This peculiar construction is widely used in Italian, but what does it mean? And why is CE in there?
It might surprise you to learn that CE doesn’t have a specific grammatical function in this phrase, but it is still an essential part of it. Are you already scratching your head? Don’t worry – in this guide, I’ll explain the meaning of CE L’HO and clarify the role CE plays. So, ready to unravel the mystery? Let’s dive in and explore the secrets of CE L’HO together!
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Table to Contents
Here’s what we’ll cover in this guide. Click on any title to jump to each section.
- What is CE L’HO in Italian?
- How to conjugate CE L’HO
- How to use CE L’HO in negative sentences
- CE L’HO in Italian pronominal verbs
- Difference between CE L’HO, CE LO and C’È LO
- Practice Dialogue
What is CE L’HO in Italian?
In Italian, when you want to say that you have something specific that was already mentioned, you use the phrase CE L’HO. It translates to “I have it” and helps you avoid repeating the same word, making conversations flow more smoothly.
Imagine your Italian friend is frantically searching around in their bag and then looks up at you and asks, Hai una penna? (Do you have a pen?). Your response could be Sì, l’ho! (Yes, I have it), since penna (pen) is feminine singular, so you would normally use the direct object pronoun la, which changes to l’ to avoid vowel collision. However, a more natural response in Italian is “Sì, ce l’ho!” (Yes, I have it!).
Let’s analyze this construction. Technically speaking, CE L’HO consists of three elements:
CE + L’ (LO/LA) + HO
CE: This is a phonetic change of the pronominal particle CI, which turns I to E before the pronouns la, lo, li, and le. This particle has no grammatical role or specific meaning but is simply used to make the sentence flow better. Compare the two answers from the previous example: Sì, l’ho and Sì, ce l’ho – notice the difference in emphasis?
L’: This is the direct object pronoun for LO (singular masculine) and LA (singular feminine), which uses an apostrophe when the following word begins with an “h.” For plural nouns, L’ becomes LE (plural feminine) or LI (plural masculine). For example:
- Maria, hai le chiavi? – Sì, ce le ho – Maria, do you have the keys? – Yes, I have them
- Hai i soldi per pagare? – Sì, ce li ho – Do you have the money to pay? – Yes, I have them
HO: This is the first person singular form of the verb avere (to have). Of course, you will have to conjugate the verb based on the subject and tense you need.
When you want to emphasize that you indeed have something, perhaps showing a touch of irritation, you can use CE L’HO along with the noun it replaces. For example:
- Hai il biglietto? – Sì, ce l’ho il biglietto! – Do you have the ticket? – Yes, I have the ticket!
- Hai il passaporto? – Sì, ce l’ho il passaporto! – Do you have the passport? – Yes, I have the passport!
Attenzione! When replying to questions where avere (to have) is used as an auxiliary verb rather than the main verb, you cannot use CE in your answer. For example, if someone asks you Hai preso la farina per la pizza? (Did you get the flour for the pizza?), you cannot respond Sì, ce l’ho (Yes, I have it). Instead, you should say something like Sì, l’ho presa ieri (Yes, I bought it yesterday).
How to conjugate CE L’HO
Conjugating CE L’HO in Italian is super easy. All you have to do is follow the standard conjugation of the verb avere (to have), picking the appropriate form depending on the subject of your sentence:
| Conjugation of “CE L’HO” in Italian | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Singular | Plural | ||
| English | Italian | English | Italian (masc./fem/) |
| I have it | Ce l’ho | I have them | Ce li/le ho |
| You have it | Ce l’hai | You have them | Ce li/le hai |
| He/She has it | Ce l’ha | He/She has them | Ce li/le ha |
| We have it | Ce l’abbiamo | We have them | Ce li/le abbiamo |
| You have it | Ce l’avete | You have them | Ce li/le avete |
| They have it | Ce l’hanno | They have them | Ce li/le hanno |
How to use CE L’HO in negative sentences
To make a negative sentence with CE L’HO, simply add NON right before CE L’HO or its variations. Here are some examples to practice on:
- Hai un euro da prestarmi? – Mi spiace, non ce l’ho – Do you have a euro to lend me? – Sorry, I don’t (have it).
- Avete il motorino? – No, non ce l’abbiamo – Do you have a moped? – No, we don’t (have it).
- Hanno i biglietti per la mostra? – No, non ce li hanno – Do they have the tickets for the exhibition? – No, they don’t (have them).
CE L’HO in Italian pronominal verbs
While it’s mostly used to indicate possession, CE L’HO can also be part of the conjugation for certain pronominal verbs. These are verbs that include one or two pronouns which change their meaning. Let’s look at some common examples:
CE L’HO con te!
Here, CE L’HO is the first-person singular form of the pronominal verb avercela con qualcuno, which means “to be mad at someone.” Example sentences:
- Non ce l’ho con te, sono solo molto stanca – I’m not upset with you, I’m just tired.
- Ce l’ho con mia sorella – I’m mad at my sister.
- Ce l’ho con lei perchè non è venuta alla mia festa – I’m mad at her because she didn’t come to my party.
CE L’HO fatta!
This phrase is very common in Italian and means “I’ve succeeded.” Again, CE L’HO is the first-person singular form of the pronominal verb farcela (to manage, to succeed). Example sentences:
- Ce l’ho fatta a trovare i biglietti per il concerto! – I managed to find the tickets for the concert!
- Ce l’ho fatta, sono arrivato in cima! – I did it, I reached the top!
- Ce l’ho fatta a completare la maratona! – I managed to complete the marathon!
CE L’HO messa tutta!
This expression comes from the pronominal verb mettercela tutta (to do one’s best, give all one has). Example sentences:
- Ce l’ho messa tutta ma non ho passato l’ultimo esame – I did my best, but I didn’t pass the last exam
- Ce l’ho messa tutta per arrivare in tempo – I did my best to arrive on time
- Spero che il progetto venga approvato, io ce l’ho messa tutta – I hope the project gets approved; I did my best
Difference between CE L’HO, CE LO and C’È LO
In Italian, it’s not rare to encounter phrases that sound similar but have distinct meanings and grammatical roles. CE L’HO, for example, is often mismatched with CE LO and C’È LO. They all sound very similar but have totally different meanings and usages:
CE LO = CI + LO
CE LO is a combination of the pronoun CI (meaning noi – us) and LO (the direct object pronoun for “it”). CI here changes to CE because it’s followed by another pronoun (LO). This construction is used to indicate that something is being done for us or that we are being given something:
- Ce lo meritiamo! – We deserve it!
- Ce lo dicono sempre – They always tell us this.
- Ce lo prepara domani – She will prepare it for us tomorrow.
C’È LO = ESSERCI + LO
Here, C’È is the third person singular form of the verb esserci, meaning “there is”, while LO is the definite article used with masculine singular nouns starting with z, x, ps, pn, gn, or s+consonant. This expression describes the presence or existence of something specific:
- C’è lo spazio sufficiente per un altro armadio – There is enough space for another wardrobe
- Qui c’è lo zampino di tua madre! – I bet your mother’s got something to do with it!
- Ricordati che domani c’è lo spettacolo di Sofia – Remember that Sofia’s show is tomorrow
Practice Dialogue
Let’s wrap up with a dialogue that can help further clarify the difference between CE L’HO, CE LO and C’È LO:
A: Ciao Laura, hai il libro di storia? – Hi Laura, do you have the history book?
B: Sì, ce l’ho qui nello zaino – Yes, I have it here in my backpack
A: Ce lo puoi prestare? Dobbiamo controllare alcune date – Can you lend it to us? We need to check some dates.
B: Sì, certo – Yes, of course.
A: Grazie mille! Per caso c’è lo schema alla fine del capitolo sull’unificazione d’Italia? – Thanks so much! By any chance, is there a summary at the end of the chapter on Italy’s unification?
B: Mi dispiace, non lo so – I’m sorry, I don’t know.
A: Nessun problema, adesso controlliamo noi e se non c’è, ce lo facciamo preparare dal professore! – No problem, we’ll check it now and if it’s not there, we’ll ask the professor to prepare it for us!
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