Subject and Object Pronouns
Subject pronouns only have one form, whether they precede or follow the verb.
Object pronouns have two forms: one is used when the pronoun is placed before the verb form or combined with it, the other when the pronoun is placed after the verb.
SINGULAR |
||
| Subject | Object - before the verb | Object - after the verb |
| io | mi | me |
| tu | ti | te |
| lui (egli, esso) | lo (l')* | lui |
| lei (ella, essa) | la (l')* | lei |
| PLURAL | . | |
| Subject | Object - before the verb | Object - after the verb |
| noi | ci | noi |
| voi | vi | voi |
| loro (essi) | li (l')* | loro |
| loro (esse) | le (l')* | loro |
* La and lo (and also le and li in the spoken language) loose the vowel and take the apostrophe.
Pronouns are attached to the following verb forms: past participle (used by themselves, without essere or avere), the infinitive, the gerund and the imperative. In this case, the the final "e" of the infinitive is dropped ( verbs like condurre lose the last syllable "re").
Note that the word stress does not change.
| È importante studiàre la lezione | It is important to study the lesson | È importante studiàrla | It is important to study it. |
| Studiàndo a fondo la lezione si impara | Studying the lesson carefully one learns a lot | Studiàndola a fondo si impara | Studying it carefully one learns a lot |
| Studiàte la lezione | Study the lesson! | Studiàtela | Study it! |
| Una volta studiàta la lezione esco. | Once I study the lesson I go out | Una volta studiàtala, esco. | Once I have studied it I go out. |
With the verbs potere, dovere, volere + the infinitive, the pronoun can precede the first verb or may be attached to the following infinitive.
| Ti devo vedere | Devo vederti | I must see you |
| Lo / La devo sentire oggi | Devo sentirlo / la oggi | I must talk to him / her today |
| La possiamo studiare ora | Possiamo studiarla ora | We can study it now |
| Li / Le voglio invitare a cena | Voglio invitarli / le a cena | I want to ask them to dinner |
In the negative form, "non" precedes the pronoun in front of the verb.
| Non ho visto quel film | I didn't see that movie | Non lo ho visto | I didn't see it |
| Non posso aspettare Mario | I can't wait for Mario | Non lo posso aspettare | I can't wait for him |
Subject pronouns are rarely used in Italian. They are usually expressed only for emphasis, to make a distinction, to avoid ambiguity. They are also used by themselves in short answers. See the following examples:
| Vengo io ma Carla resta a casa. | I'll come but Carla will stay home. |
Io tiro, tu spingi. |
I pull, you push. |
"Chi viene al cinema?" "Noi". |
"Who's coming to the movie?" "We are". |
| "La conosci?" "Io no, e tu?" | "Do you know her?" "I don't, do you?" |
The second form of the object pronoun ( in the third column of the table below) is normally used for emphasis, to make a distinction, to avoid ambiguity. See the following examples:
| (tu) mi ami | you love me | (tu) ami me | you love me (not her) |
| (io) ti amo | I love you | (io) amo te | I love you (not her) |
| (io) lo amo | I love him | (io) amo lui | I love him (not you) |
| (io) la amo | I love her | (io) amo lei | I love her (not you) |
| (tu) ci ami | you love us | (tu) ami noi | you love us (not them) |
| (io) vi amo | I love you (p.) | (io) amo voi | I love you (p.) (not them) |
| (io) li amo | I love them | (io) amo loro (masc.) | I love them (not you) |
| (io) le amo | I love them (f.) | (io) amo loro (femm.) | I love them (f.) (not you) |
In the past tense formed with the auxiliary "avere" and the past participle of the verb (passato prossimo), if the verb is preceded by a lo, la, li or le, the past participle must agree in gender (masculine/feminine) and number (singular/plural) with the pronoun.
If the pronoun follows the verb, the agreement is possible but not mandatory.
[In the following examples, "io" is in parenthesis because it usually is omitted]:
| Pronoun after the verb | Pronoun before the verb | Spoken language | |
| (io) ho guardato lei [it is also possible: (io) ho guardata lei] | (io) la ho guardata | (io) l'ho guardata | I looked at her |
| (io) ho bevuto un caffè | (io) lo ho bevuto | (io) l'ho bevuto | I drunk it |
| (io) ho ascoltato le opere di Verdi [it is also possible: (io) ho ascoltate le opere di Verdi] | (io) le ho ascoltate | (io) l'ho ascoltate | I have listened to them |
| (io) ho visto i film di Fellini [it is also possible: (io) ho visti i film di Fellini] | (io) li ho visti | (io) l'ho visti | I saw them |
With the forms mi, ti, ci, vi the agreement is not mandatory. Note that each of these pronouns can be referred to both men and women. For examples:
| Pronoun after the verb | Pronoun before the verb | Spoken language | |
| [Carla]: Mario mi ha accompagnato | Mario mi ha accompagnata | Mario m'ha accompagnata | Mario took me (f.) there |
| [Mario]: Carla mi ha accompagnato | - | Carla m'ha accompagnato | Mario took me (m.) there |
| [Carla e Sofia]: Mario ci ha accompagnato | Mario ci ha accompagnate | Mario c'ha accompagnate | Mario took us (f.) there |
| [Mario e Franco]: Carla ci ha accompagnato | Carla ci ha accompagnati | Carla c'ha accompagnati | Carla took us (m.) there |
| [Carla e Mario]: Franco ci ha accompagnato | Franco ci ha accompagnati | Franco c'ha accompagnati | Franco took us (m.) there |
Object pronouns can replace more than one word or an entire sentence:
| (io) questa sera studio il V capitolo del libro | tonight I will study the V chapter of the book | (io) lo studio domani | I will study it tomorrow |
| (io) questa sera ho studiato il V capitolo del libro | Tonight I studied the V chapter of the book | (Io) lo ho studiato ieri sera | I studied it last night |
| (Io) questa sera studio la quinta lezione | Tonight I will study the fifth lesson | (Io) la studio domani | I will study it tomorrow |
| (Io) questa sera ho studiato la quinta lezione | Tonight I studied the fifth lesson | (Io) la ho studiata ieri sera | I studied it last night |
| (Io) questa sera studio due capitoli del libro | Tonight I will study two chapters of the book | (Io) li studio domani | I will study them tomorrow |
| (Io) questa sera ho studiato due capitoli del libro | Tonight I studied two chapters of the book | (io) li ho studiati ieri sera | I studied them last night |
| (Io) questa sera studio due lezioni del libro | Tonight I will study two lessons of the book | (Io) le studio domani | I will study them tomorrow |
| (Io) questa sera ho studiato due lezioni del libro | Tonight I studied two lessons of the book | (Io) le ho studiate ieri sera | I studied them last night |
| (Io) so che ha vinto la lotteria | I know that he won the lottery | (Io) lo so | I know it |
| (Io) ho saputo che ha vinto la lotteria | I found out that he won the lottery | (Io) lo ho saputo | I found out |
| (Io) so che ha superato l'esame | I know that you passed your exam | (Io) lo so | I know it |
| (Io) ho saputo che ha superato l'esame | I have learned that you passed your exam | (Io) lo ho saputo | I found out |
For oral exercises on pronouns, see Oral drills on Italian Grammar #1.