Believing in it and thinking about it
In Italian, verbs like credere (to believe) and pensare (to think) are followed by the preposition a when talking about believing in or thinking about something.
To avoid repeating the noun, you can replace the entire phrase starting with a with the little word ci (in it / about it). Just like most pronouns, ci goes directly before the conjugated verb.
| I don't believe in magic, but do you believe in it? | Non credo alla magia, ma tu ci credi? |
| That superstition is irrational, but before going out I always think about it. | Quella superstizione è irrazionale, ma prima di uscire ci penso sempre. |
Caring and paying attention
This pattern works for any verb that pairs with the preposition a. Some common ones you will use when talking about superstitions and luck are badare a (to pay attention to) and tenere a (to care about).
| Bad luck exists, but I do not pay attention to it. | La sfortuna esiste, ma io non ci bado. |
| I am not giving up my amulet; I care about it too much. | Non rinuncio al mio amuleto; ci tengo troppo. |
Attaching "ci" to infinitives
If the verb remains in the infinitive (unconjugated)—for example, after a helper verb like dovresti (you should)—you attach ci directly to the end of it. Just drop the final -e of the infinitive first.
For example, credere becomes crederci, and rinunciare (to give up) becomes rinunciarci.
| That superstition is irrational; you shouldn't believe in it anymore. | Quella superstizione è irrazionale; non dovresti più crederci. |
| I care a lot about this amulet; you shouldn't give it up. | Tengo molto a questo amuleto; non dovresti rinunciarci. |