Breakdown of Ci sono differenze culturali, ma ce la caviamo.
ma
but
c'è
there is / there are
cavarsela
to get by / to manage (scrape by)
la differenza
difference
culturale
cultural
Questions & Answers about Ci sono differenze culturali, ma ce la caviamo.
How do we get ce la caviamo from the dictionary form cavarsela?
Cavarsela is a pronominal verb made of three parts: the base verb cavare, the reflexive pronoun si, and the direct object pronoun la. To say "we get by," we conjugate the verb for "we" (caviamo). Then, we change the reflexive pronoun to the "we" form (ci) and put the pronouns before the conjugated verb.
If the "we" reflexive pronoun is ci, why does the sentence say ce la instead of ci la?
In the first part of the sentence, we use ci sono. Is this the same ci as in ce la caviamo?
No, they have entirely different jobs! In ci sono (there are), ci acts as an adverb of place that pairs with the verb essere to mean "there". In ce la caviamo, the underlying ci (which changed to ce) is a reflexive pronoun. Italian uses the little word ci for several different grammatical roles, so you have to rely on context to know which one it is.
Why does the adjective culturali end in "-i" when the feminine plural noun differenze ends in "-e"?
Differenza is a regular feminine noun that changes its "-a" to "-e" in the plural (differenze). However, the adjective culturale belongs to the group of adjectives that end in "-e" in the singular. Adjectives that end in "-e" in the singular always change to "-i" in the plural, regardless of whether the noun they describe is masculine or feminine.
Learn Ci sono differenze culturali, ma ce la caviamo and more in Italian
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
- ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
- ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free