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Ci sono diciassette o diciotto ragazzi americani qui.

Ci sono diciassette o diciotto ragazzi americani qui.
There are seventeen or eighteen American boys here.
From Lesson 22:Numbers 11 to 20 (undici, dodici...)·Italian

Questions & Answers about Ci sono diciassette o diciotto ragazzi americani qui.

How are the numbers diciassette and diciotto formed?
In Italian, the numbers 11 to 16 end in -dici. But for 17, 18, and 19, the pattern flips, and they start with dicia- or dici- (from dieci, meaning 10). Notice that diciassette (17) has a double s, and diciotto (18) drops a vowel to smoothly connect dici and otto.
Do I need to change the endings of the numbers to match the plural noun ragazzi?
No, cardinal numbers like diciassette and diciotto are invariable. This means they never change their endings to match the gender or number of the noun they describe. The only exception you will see in Italian is the number one (uno / una).
Why is the adjective americani placed after ragazzi?
In Italian, adjectives that describe nationality or origin almost always come after the noun. Since ragazzi is a masculine plural noun, the base adjective americano changes its ending to -i to match, becoming ragazzi americani.
What is the difference between ci sono and c'è?
Ci sono means 'there are' and is used here because we are talking about multiple boys (a plural subject). If there were only one boy, you would use c'è, which means 'there is'.

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