C’è / ci sono = “there is / there are”
The verb ESSERE is used in the expressions “c’è” (there is) followed by a singular noun, and “ci sono” (there are) followed by a plural noun:
C’È + SING. NOUN → THERE IS
CI SONO + PLUL. NOUN → THERE ARE
Note that in the singular form, the pronoun CI is replaced by the cut version with the apostrophe, which is easier to pronounce before a vowel:
CI È → C’È
Examples:
– C’È un problema (THERE IS problem)
– CI SONO due libri (THERE ARE two books)
– C’È qualcuno? (IS someone THERE?)
Here are the most common conjugations for the indicative tense:
PASSATO PROSSIMO: c’è stato/a – ci sono stati/e
IMPERFETTO: c’era – c’erano
FUTURO SEMPLICE: ci sarà – ci saranno