9 Avere is also used in Italian to express age:
C’è and ci sono
10 The verb essere is used in the expressions c’è (there is) followed by a
singular noun, and ci sono (there are) followed by a plural noun:
11 Note that c’è and ci sono are not usually emphatic. So, in the English
sentences in paragraph 10, the voice stress does not fall on ‘there’, but on the
noun that follows it (i.e. on ‘letter’, ‘little/plenty of time’, ‘problem’, etc.).
Thus c’è and ci sono sometimes do not correspond to ‘there is’ or ‘there are’,
as in the following examples:
12 The interrogative is formed by simply adding a question mark at the end
of the sentence, or with a ‘question word’ (see Unit 9):
13 The negative is formed by placing non before c’è or ci sono:
Francesca ha 17 anni.
Il figlio di Gianni ha un anno.
Quanti anni hai?Francesca is 17 (years old).
Gianni’s son is one.
How old are you?C’è una lettera per te.
C’è poco tempo.
C’è molto tempo!
C’è un problema.
Ci sono due ingressi.
Nel negozio ci sono molti clienti.There’s a letter for you.
There’s little/not much time.
There’s plenty of time!
There’s a problem.
There are two entrances.
There are a lot of customers in the shop.C’è Luisa al telefono. [i.e. she has
just rung]
Ci sono i tuoi amici che ti aspettano.
[i.e. they have just arrived]Luisa’s on the phone. [not: There’s
Luisa on the phone.]
Your friends are waiting for you.
[not: There are your friends
waiting for you.]C’è il Professor Gatti?C’è molto traffico?
Quanti ingressi ci sono?Is Professor Gatti there/anywhere/around?
[i.e. I’d like to see/talk to Professor Gatti.]
Is there a lot of traffic?
How many entrances are there?Non c’è tempo.
Domani non c’è lezione.
Non ci sono clienti.There is no time.
There is no class tomorrow.
There aren’t any customers.