Breakdown of Lui non vuole usare l'apparecchio, e non ci capisce nulla.
lui
he
e
and
non
not
volere
to want
usare
to use
nulla
nothing
l'apparecchio
the hearing aid / the device (appliance, apparatus) (m)
capirci
to grasp / understand
Questions & Answers about Lui non vuole usare l'apparecchio, e non ci capisce nulla.
Why is there a ci in non ci capisce nulla? Doesn't capisce already mean understands?
This uses the pronominal verb capirci. The ci here is known as a ci attualizzante. It doesn't replace a location or mean us. Instead, it emphasizes a person's general capacity to comprehend a situation. It means he completely fails to grasp what is being said or what is going on.
Could ci capisce also mean he doesn't understand anything about it (meaning the device itself)?
Yes, this is a great double meaning! L'apparecchio often means a hearing aid, but it can also refer to any electronic device or appliance. If it's a new gadget, non ci capisce nulla means he doesn't understand anything about it. In that case, ci replaces a phrase like di questa cosa (about this thing).
If l'apparecchio is a hearing aid, wouldn't it be more logical to use the verb sentirci?
Why do we use both non and nulla? Isn't that a double negative?
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