non c'è / non ci sono

Negative 'Non C'è / Non Ci Sono'

Level 1

Non c'è (singular) and non ci sono (plural) are the negative forms of 'there is' and 'there are'. They are used to say that something or someone is not present or does not exist.

How It Works

The negative existential form is a fundamental building block in Italian. It is used to describe the absence of objects, people, or abstract concepts.

1. Formation and Agreement
As with English 'there is / there are', the verb agrees with the noun that follows:

Non c'è + singular noun (e.g., Non c'è pane - There is no bread).
Non ci sono + plural noun (e.g., Non ci sono sedie - There are no chairs).

2. Word Order and Elision
The negator non must always precede the entire cluster. You cannot place it between ci and the verb. In the present tense, the particle ci elides (drops the 'i') before the singular verb è to become c'è. However, it remains ci before sono.

3. Referring to Quantity (Partitive 'ne')
When you want to say 'there isn't any' or 'there aren't any' of something previously mentioned, you use the ne partitivo. In this case, ci changes to ce:

Non ce n'è (There isn't any).
Non ce ne sono (There aren't any).

4. Double Negatives
Italian uses 'double negatives' when a negative word like nessuno (no one) or niente (nothing) follows the verb. In this position, the word non is mandatory at the beginning of the phrase.
Example: Non c'è nessuno (Literally: There isn't no one). If the negative word starts the sentence (e.g., Nessuno c'è), the non is dropped.

5. Identity vs. Existence
Be careful not to confuse this with the simple negative of essere.

Non è un problema = It is not a problem (describing what it is).
Non c'è un problema = There isn't a problem (stating it doesn't exist).

Examples (5)

Non c'è latte nel frigorifero.
There is no milk in the refrigerator.
Word by Word: Not there is milk in the refrigerator.
Use 'non c'è' because 'latte' (milk) is a singular noun.
Oggi non ci sono studenti in classe.
Today there are no students in class.
Word by Word: Today not there are students in class.
Use 'non ci sono' because 'studenti' (students) is a plural noun.
Non c'è nessuno a casa.
There is no one at home.
Word by Word: Not there is no one at home.
This shows the mandatory double negative: 'non' + 'nessuno'.
Mi dispiace, non ci sono più biglietti.
I'm sorry, there are no more tickets.
Word by Word: Me it displeases, not there are more tickets.
A common way to express that something has run out.
Non c'è tempo da perdere!
There is no time to lose!
Word by Word: Not there is time to lose!
Used here with an abstract noun (tempo).

Common Mistakes

Using 'non c'è' for plural nouns.
Non c'è problemi.
Non ci sono problemi.
In Italian, the verb must agree with the subject. Since 'problemi' is plural, you must use 'ci sono'.
Incorrect word order (putting 'non' after 'ci').
Ci non sono fiori.
Non ci sono fiori.
The negation 'non' must always come before the 'ci' particle.
Omitting 'ci' when expressing existence.
Non è nessuno in ufficio.
Non c'è nessuno in ufficio.
Without 'ci', the sentence means 'He/She is no one.' To say 'There is no one,' you must include the locative particle 'ci'.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

non c'è / non ci sonoLevel 1Negative 'Non C'è / Non Ci Sono'

Learn This First

To understand the negative form of 'esserci', a learner must first be familiar with the affirmative existential expressions 'c'è' and 'ci sono' and the basic rule of placing 'non' before a verb to create a negative sentence.

Words in This Pattern

esserci

Sources

Practice non c'è / non ci sono in Bubblegum

Poppy, your AI tutor, writes Italian lessons at your level. Tap any grammar point in a lesson to see its full explanation.