Learn Italian: L'oculista mi ha detto che non ci vedo bene. - The eye doctor told me that I cannot see well.

L'oculista mi ha detto che non ci vedo bene.

The eye doctor told me that I cannot see well.

Breakdown of L'oculista mi ha detto che non ci vedo bene.

Questions & Answers about L'oculista mi ha detto che non ci vedo bene.

Why do we use ci vedo here instead of just vedo?

In Italian, the pronominal verb vederci is used to express the physical ability or capacity to see. If you just said non vedo bene, it could mean you don't see a specific thing well (like a sign in the distance). Adding ci emphasizes the general functioning of your eyesight: you do not have good vision.

Does the ci in non ci vedo change if the subject changes, like if we were talking about my grandfather?

No, the ci stays exactly the same! It acts as a fixed particle in the verb vederci. If you were talking about your grandfather, you would say non ci vede bene (he doesn't see well). The particle doesn't change to match the subject.

Why is vedo in the indicative mood rather than the subjunctive after ha detto che?

The verb dire usually takes the indicative mood when it is used to state a fact or report information, as it does here. You would generally only use the subjunctive after dire if it were conveying an order or command, such as mi ha detto che io lo faccia (he told me to do it).

Is oculista a masculine or feminine noun?