Italian Phrase
Ce la fanno a superare le difficoltà?
Meaning
The sentence asks whether ‘they’ are able to overcome the difficulties they are facing. It conveys curiosity or concern about someone’s capacity to cope with challenges.
When to use
Use this question when you want to check if a person, a group, or an organization can handle a tough situation—e.g., a new project, a study program, or a personal crisis.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Celafannoasuperareledifficoltà?
Ce la + verb
The idiomatic construction 'ce la' means 'to manage' or 'to succeed' at the action expressed by the following verb.
Fanno (fare)
Third‑person plural present of the verb *fare*; here it works as an auxiliary for the idiom, meaning 'they do' or 'they manage'.
a + infinitive
The preposition *a* links the idiom to the infinitive that describes the action.
Superare
Infinitive meaning 'to overcome, to surpass'.
Le difficoltà
Plural feminine noun meaning 'the difficulties'.
🗨In Conversation
Hai sentito del nuovo progetto di ricerca?
Did you hear about the new research project?
Ce la fanno a superare le difficoltà?
Do they manage to overcome the difficulties?
✕Common Mistakes
Ci la fanno a superare le difficoltà?
‘Ci’ is the indirect object pronoun meaning ‘to us’; the idiom requires ‘ce la’.
Ce lo fanno a superare le difficoltà?
‘Lo’ does not belong in the idiom; the correct form is ‘ce la’.
Fanno a superare le difficoltà?
The idiom must keep ‘ce la’ before the verb; dropping it changes the meaning.
↔Alternatives
Riescono a superare le difficoltà?
Do they manage to overcome the difficulties?
Sono in grado di superare le difficoltà?
Are they able to overcome the difficulties?
Riusciranno a superare le difficoltà?
Will they be able to overcome the difficulties?
Cultural Tip
The idiom *ce la fare* is very common in everyday Italian and is considered informal. It can be used for people, teams, or even abstract entities like a plan. Avoid using it in very formal written contexts such as academic papers; opt for *riuscire* or *essere in grado* instead.