Have you ever heard the verb “entrarci”? It’s a pronominal verb (basically a verb + pronoun combo), and it means “to have to do with.”
Typically, you won’t hear it as the full form.
In the present tense (il presente indicativo), you’ll hear:
— C’entra (singular)
— C’entrano (plural)
Unfamiliar with singular and plural in Italian grammar? Click here.
I know that sounds abstract, so here are some examples to help it make sense.
Esempi
A: Voglio prendere il treno domani, ma potrebbe piovere. – I want to take the train tomorrow, but it might rain.
B: Ma scusa, che c’entra la pioggia?! – Um, sorry, but what does the rain have to do with it?
A: Ho sentito dire che il problema l’ha causato Emilio. – I heard that Emilio caused the problem.
B: Hai torto, non c’entra nulla Emilio. – You’re wrong, it doesn’t have anything to do with Emilio.
Other common phrases are:
— Che c’entra questo? – What does this have to do with anything?
— La fortuna non c’entra. – Luck has nothing to do with it.
— C’entra poco. – It has little do with it.
— C’entra molto. – It has a lot to do with it.
Have questions? Leave a comment below. 🙂
Thanks Cher,
As always, very good.
Here is another way of saying it’s neither here nor there, using one of my favorite words, “cavolo”: “C’entra come i cavoli a merenda.”
What a great example! We love it!
ciao Rachel, puoi spiegare il significato di un esempio di Alexander?
It’s an expression so it’s not literally translatable, but it says, “that makes sense like cabbage as a snack” so in essence, doesn’t make sense! Hope that helps!