The Pronoun ne for Situations
The pronoun ne can replace a whole situation or fact, often translating to "about this," "by it," or "from this fact." Use ne to refer to an entire preceding clause when the follow-up reaction or feeling would normally be introduced by the preposition di (of, about, from).
Like other pronouns, ne goes immediately before the conjugated verb.
| He won a very prestigious prize and we are proud of it. | Ha vinto un premio molto prestigioso e ne siamo fieri. |
| The team wins, therefore we are proud of it and cry with joy. | La squadra vince, perciò ne siamo fieri e piangiamo di gioia. |
Adjectives of Emotion with ne
Many Italian adjectives of emotion—such as being proud (fiero), flattered (lusingato), satisfied (soddisfatto), or honored (onorato)—are followed by the preposition di. Because they require di, use ne to refer back to the situation that caused the feeling.
| My nomination is unexpected, therefore I am very flattered by it. | La mia candidatura è inaspettata, quindi ne sono molto lusingato. |
| Not only did I get the nomination, but I am also satisfied with it. | Non solo ho ottenuto la candidatura, ma ne sono anche soddisfatto. |
| We are chosen for this project and we are honored and grateful for it. | Veniamo scelti per questo progetto e ne siamo onorati e grati. |
Using ne with provare
You can also use ne with verbs like provare (to feel an emotion). If an event occurs, ne perfectly captures feeling gratitude or joy "for it" or "about it."
| The recognition changed his life and he feels an immense gratitude for it. | Il riconoscimento ha cambiato la sua vita e lui ne prova un'immensa gratitudine. |
| He won that prestigious award and he feels great joy and gratitude about it. | Ha vinto quel premio prestigioso e ne prova grande gioia e gratitudine. |