Breakdown of Il malocchio esiste? Non ci ho mai creduto.
non
not
avere
to have
mai
ever / never
credere
to believe
esistere
to exist
ci
about it / in it (with verbs taking 'a')
il malocchio
the evil eye
Questions & Answers about Il malocchio esiste? Non ci ho mai creduto.
Why is ci used in this sentence instead of a normal "it" pronoun like lo?
In Italian, you believe "to" something (credere a). Because the verb requires the preposition a, you cannot use a direct object pronoun like lo. Instead, you use ci, which replaces a plus a thing or concept. Here, ci means "in it" (literally "to it"), completely replacing the idea of al malocchio.
How does the word order work with non, mai, and the pronoun ci in the past tense?
The word order is very specific. Non goes first, followed by the pronoun ci, and then the helper verb ho. The word mai (never) tucks right between the helper verb and the past participle (creduto). So the exact pattern is: Non + pronoun + helper verb + mai + past participle.
Why doesn't "believe in it" translate to using the preposition in?
Italians use credere a when talking about believing that something is real, true, or exists (like the evil eye, ghosts, or a rumor). You generally only use credere in for religious faith (like credere in Dio) or trusting in a person's potential. Because this sentence is about whether a superstition exists, it requires a, which is why we must use ci.
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