What are Pronouns?
In linguistics, a pronoun is a word that substitutes for a noun or noun phrase. Italian has several types of pronouns:
- Personal pronouns: You might know these as subjects. These are the Italian io, tu, lui/lei/Lei, noi, voi, loro. These pronouns are not relevant for the current topic.
- Direct pronouns: These are the objects of transitive verbs like mangiare (to eat), comprare (to buy), vedere (to buy). They are connected to verbs without the use of any preposition.
- Indirect pronouns: These are the objects of intransitive verbs like andare (to go), arrivare (to arrive), morire (to die). They are connected to the verbs with the use of a preposition.
- pronoun ci: Normally translated into “there”, is used for places.
- pronoun ne: Used to refer to topics and parts of amounts. It substitutes for objects that are introduced by the preposition di.
For this article, it is important that you know that pronouns can combine, especially direct and indirect ones.
Direct and Indirect Object Pronouns in Italian
Italian Direct Object Pronouns
Direct object pronouns (pronomi complemento oggetto) substitute for direct object of transitive verbs. These are the objects that are linked to the verb without the use of any preposition.
Let’s look at some examples:
Io sto leggendo un giornale.
I am reading the newspaper.
Un giornale is the direct object in the sentence above.
Let’s now replace the direct object with a direct object pronoun:
Io lo sto leggendo.
I am reading it.
Lo stands for il giornale, masculine singular direct object pronoun.
Italian Indirect Object Pronouns
Indirect object pronouns (pronomi complemento indiretto) are pronouns that substitute for a noun that is introduced by the preposition “a”.
They serve as the indirect object of the sentence verb, indicating to whom or to what an action is intended or referred. Of course, indirect object pronouns are used in English as well. For example:
Hai detto a Laura che arriverò tardi?
Have you told Laura my parents I will be late?
A Laura is the indirect object of the sentence, in fact, it is introduced by the preposition a.
Le hai detto che arriverò tardi?
Did you tell her I will be late?
Le stands for a Laura, feminine singular indirect object pronoun.
Double Pronouns in Italian
When to use Double Pronouns in Italian?
You’ve learned how to use Italian direct object pronouns to say:
Lo porta.
She brings it.
And you’ve also learned how to use indirect object pronouns to say:
Le porta il libro.
She brings the book to her.
But how do you say “she brings it to her”? It’s easy! You just combine the two pronouns together, resulting in:
Glielo porta.
She bring it to her.
How to use Double Pronouns in Italian?
There are three main rules you have to keep in mind when combining pronouns:
- Order: The indirect pronoun always preceded the direct one when combining them (mi + la, mi + le, and so on).
- Vowel change: The i of the indirect pronoun becomes e when combined (mi -> me, ti -> te, ci -> ce, and vi -> ve).
- Third person: Both the female and male third person indirect pronoun (to her, to him) become gli when combined with a direct pronoun and form a single word. Glielo, gliela, glieli, and gliele. The others stay separate.
This handy table lists all of the pronomi combinati (combined pronouns) you’ll need.
Direct object pronouns lo, la, li, and le (it and them, male or female) run along the top; indirect object pronouns mi, ti, gli, le, ci, vi, and loro run vertically on the left (to me, to you, to him or her, to us, to you, and them).
| lo | la | li | le | |
| mi | me lo | me la | me li | me le |
| ti | te lo | te la | te li | te le |
| gli/le | glielo | gliela | glieli | gliele |
| ci | ce lo | ce la | ce li | ce le |
| vi | ve lo | ve la | ve li | ve le |
| gli | glielo | gliela | glieli | gliele/ le…loro |
Pronouns Placement
Unlike English, both direct and indirect pronouns in Italian typically precede the verb. This is statistically the most common occurrence, because pronouns precede the verbs when the verb is:
- A finite verb, that is, a verb that display tense, person, and number (present, past, future etc…)
- Formal imperative, that is, the imperative form with the formal “lei”.
This applies to double pronouns as well. Therefore, the standard sentence order is:
Subject (if expressed) + object pronouns + verb.
For example:
Porto il panino a Alessio. – Glielo porto.
I’ll bring the sandwich to Alessio. – I’ll bring it to him.
Darei le chiavi a te, ma non sono mie. – Te le darei ma non sono mie.
I would give the keys to you, but they are not mine. – I would give them to you, but they are not mine.
However, object pronouns in Italian can also follow the verb. This happens when the verb is:
- A non-finite verb, that is, a verb that displays no tense, no person, no number (gerund, participle; infinitive is pretty flexible, so you can find both!)
- Informal imperative, that is, the imperative form with the informal “tu”.
Also in this case, the same occurs with double pronouns. Therefore, this order for Italian direct pronouns is:
Subject (if expressed) + verb + object pronouns.
Voglio comprare questo cappello a Elisa. – Voglio comprarglielo.
I want to buy this hat to Elisa. – I want to buy it to her.
Diglielo!
Tell it to him!
Now link your knowledge: pronouns can both precede and follow the negative form of the informal imperative, because this is created with the infinitive! Therefore, the pronouns placement of the negative imperative is something you might want to deepen.
Why you Should Learn Italian Double Pronouns
Every time a student of mine starts dealing with Italian double pronouns, they are always very scared and confused. I must admit it: this topic is not easy at all, but with the right tools and the right motivation, you’ll be able to master Italian pronouns without any problem.
Understanding double pronouns in Italian is essential to achieve fluency and enhance your communication skills. Double pronouns are very useful in daily conversations, and using them will make your speech sound more natural and native-like.
Whether you’re a beginner or an advanced learner, incorporating double pronouns into your Italian repertoire will significantly improve your linguistic abilities. Keep practicing, and you will soon improve in your proficiency and confidence in using Italian double pronouns.
Continue practicing, and you’ll get better at it, te lo prometto! (I promise this to you!)
