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Italian Phrase

Quante persone ci sono in una classe?

/ˈkwante perˈsone tʃi ˈsono in ˈuna ˈklasse/
Meaning"How many people are there in a class?"
💡

Meaning

This phrase is used to inquire about the number of individuals present in a specific group or location, specifically a class. The 'ci sono' construction is crucial here, indicating existence or presence, similar to 'there are' in English.

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When to use

You would use this phrase when you want to know the size of a group, particularly a class, or any other defined space. It's a direct and common way to ask about quantity of people in a given context.

✦Grammar Breakdown

Quantepersoneci sonoinunaclasse

1

Quante

'Quante' is the feminine plural form of 'quanto' (how much/many). It must agree in gender and number with the noun it modifies, which in this case is 'persone' (feminine plural).

2

Persone

This is the plural form of 'persona' (person). It is a feminine noun, which dictates the use of 'quante' instead of 'quanti'.

3

Ci sono

This is the Italian equivalent of 'there are' and is used to express existence or presence. 'Ci' means 'there' and 'sono' is the third-person plural of 'essere' (to be).

4

In una classe

'In' means 'in' or 'inside'. 'Una' is the indefinite article 'a/an' (feminine singular). 'Classe' means 'class' and is a feminine singular noun.

🗨In Conversation

A

Scusi, quante persone ci sono in una classe?

Excuse me, how many people are there in a class?

Di solito, circa venti studenti.

Usually, about twenty students.

B

✕Common Mistakes

  • Quanti persone sono in una classe?

    The adjective 'quanti' must agree in gender and number with the noun it modifies. 'Persone' is feminine plural, so it should be 'quante'.

  • Quante persone sono in una classe?

    To express 'there are' (existence), Italian uses 'ci sono' (or 'c'è' for singular), not just 'sono'.

  • Quante persone in una classe ci sono?

    While understandable, the more natural and common word order places 'ci sono' directly after the subject and before the location.

↔Alternatives

  • Quanti studenti ci sono in questa classe?

    How many students are there in this class?

  • Qual è il numero di persone in classe?

    What is the number of people in class?

it

Cultural Tip

In Italy, class sizes can vary significantly between public and private schools, and also between different levels of education. Asking this question is generally considered polite and direct, especially if you're trying to gauge the learning environment or logistics. It's a common question for parents, new students, or visitors.