Prima di uscire leggo l'oroscopo; ci credo molto.

Questions & Answers about Prima di uscire leggo l'oroscopo; ci credo molto.

Why do we use ci in ci credo?
The pronoun ci here replaces the phrase a + [something]. The verb credere (to believe) is followed by the preposition a when you believe in something. So, instead of repeating credo all'oroscopo (I believe in the horoscope), you use ci to mean "in it": ci credo.
Wait, doesn't "believe in" use the preposition in? Why does ci replace it?
In English, you believe in horoscopes or magic. But in Italian, the verb is usually credere a (literally "to believe to") for superstitions, concepts, or facts. Because it requires the preposition a, it works perfectly with the pronoun ci. Italian only uses credere in for things like believing in God or having deep faith in yourself.
Why is uscire in the infinitive (to go out) instead of conjugated like esco (I go out)?
In Italian, when the subject of both actions is the same (you are the one going out and the one reading), you use prima di followed by an infinitive verb. This structure is similar to saying "Before going out" in English.
Could molto change its ending here to match a noun?
No, because here molto (a lot) is acting as an adverb describing the verb credo (I believe). When molto is an adverb, it is invariable and never changes its ending. It only changes to molti, molte, or molta when it is an adjective describing a noun, like molti oroscopi (many horoscopes).

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