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Direct Object Pronouns In Italian: Mi/Ti/Ci/Vi/Li/Le.

Direct Object Pronouns In Italian

Direct object pronouns in Italian take the place of a noun (used as the direct object of a verb) and must agree in gender and number with the noun they replace.

Direct object pronouns In Italian

Subject pronounsDirect object pronouns
IoMi
(me)
TuTi
(you)
Lui / leiLo / La
(him/her)
NoiCi
(us)
VoiVi
(you)
LoroLi / Le
(them)
Direct Object Pronouns In Italian: (mi, ti, ci, vi, li/le)

Direct object pronouns Italian examples

  • Quando compro il giornale, lo (=il giornale) leggo subito.
  • When I buy the newspaper, I read it (the newspaper) right away.
  • La porta è aperta: la (=la porta) chiudi, per piacere?
  • The door is open: could you close it (the door), please?
  • I miei amici partono: li (=gli amici) accompagno in aeroporto.
  • My friends are leaving: I’ll take them (My friends) to the airport.
  • La scarpe nuove sono strette e le (=le scarpe) devo cambiare.
  • The new shoes are tight and I have to change them (The new shoes).

Direct object pronouns are used before the verb:

  • Mi sentite? (Can you hear me?)
  • Ti accompagno a fare la spesa.
  • (I’ll accompany you to do the shopping.)
  • La sorella di Claudio è molto simpatica: la conosci?
  • (Claudio’s sister is very nice: do you know her?)
  • Ci puoi aiutare? (Can you help us?)
  • Vi vedo spesso ai giardini pubblici.
  • (I often see you in public gardens)
  • Ho comprato i funghi, ma Giulia non li mangia.
  • (I bought the mushrooms, but Giulia doesn’t eat them)

Pronouns in Italian agree in gender and number with the noun they replace:

Lomasculine singular
Limasculine plural
Lafeminine singular
Lefeminine plural
Direct Object Pronouns In Italian: Lo/La/Li/Le
  • Il vestito è sporco: lo porto in tintoria.
  • (The dress is dirty: I take it to the dry cleaners.)
  • Mi piace la musica rock e la scolto spesso.
  • (I like rock music and I listen to it often.)
  • Ho comprato dei fiori , in che vaso li metto?
  • (I bought some flowers, in which vase do I put them?)
  • Ho lasciato le luci accese, le spegni, per favore?
  • (I left the lights on, will you turn them off, please?)

If a pronoun takes the place of two or more nouns of different gender(masculine and feminine) the used form, in this case, is Li (masculine plural).

  • Compri tu il vino e la birra? Sì, li compro io.
  • Do you buy the wine and the beer? Yes, I’ll buy them
  • Inviti anche Anna e France? No, non li invito.
  • Do you also invite Anna and France? No, I’m not inviting them.

When using the direct pronouns with a verb in perfect tense, such as (Il passato prossimo or il futuro anteriore) the past participle of the verb must agree in gender and number with the pronoun:

  • Ho scritto 10 cartoline, ma non le ho imbucate.
  • (I wrote 10 postcards, but I didn’t post them)
  • Quelle scarpe erano molto belle e le ho comprate.
  • (Those shoes were very nice and I bought them).
  • Paola! Maria! Vi ho chiamate già tre volte!
  • (Paola! Maria! I have called you three times already!)
  • Ciao Luisa, ti ho cercata ieri ma non ti ho trovata.
  • (Hi Luisa, I looked for you yesterday but I didn’t find you).
  • Cerchi i libri? Li ho messi sullo scaffale.
  • (Looking for books? I put them on the shelf)
  • Hanno fatto una grande festa, ma non ci hanno invitati.
  • (They had a big party, but they didn’t invite us).

In front of the verb (avere) the pronouns (Lo) and (La) are usually written with the apostrophe (L’)

  • Il ragazzo di Clara è molto simpatico: l’ho conosciuto ieri.
  • (Clara’s boyfriend is very nice: I met him yesterday)
  • Ti piace la mia giacca? l’ho comprata con lo sconto.
  • (Do you like my jacket? I bought it with a discount)
  • È un bellissimo film: i miei amici l’hanno visto tre volte.
  • (It’s a greet movie: my friend have seen it three times)
  • Non trovo la patente, forse l’ho lasciata a casa.
  • (I can’t find my driver’s license, maybe I left it at home).
  • Mario aveva mal di denti e l’ho portato dal dentista.
  • (Mario had a toothache and I took him to the dentist.)
  • Professore, l’abbiamo vista1 in televisione.
  • (Professor, we saw you on television)

1. When using the singular courtesy form (la), the past participle must agree with the pronoun.

In the spoken Italian, the past participle often does not agree with the first and second person singular and plural (mi, ti , ci ,vi,).

  • Luisa, ti ho cercato instead of Ti ho cercata (Luisa, I looked for you)
  • Ci hanno invitato instead of Ci hanno invitate/ (Ci hanno invitati (They invited us)

Often the pronouns Lo and La (more rarely also the plural Li and Le), used with the verb (avere), are preceded by the particle Ce:

  • “Hai il mio numero di telefono?” “Sì, ce l’ho”
  • “Do you have my phone number?” “Yes I ahve it”
  • “Avete una penna?” “No, non ce l’abbiamo”
  • “Do you have a pen?” “No, we do not have it”
  • “Hai tutti i documenti?” “Sì, (ce) li ho.”
  • “Do you have all the documents?” “Yes I have them”

The pronoun Lo is also used instead of an entire sentence:

  • “Sai che Carla si sposa?” “Sì, lo so.” [lo =Carla si sposa]
  • “Do you know that Carla is getting married?” “Yes, I know” [lo=Carla is getting married]
  • Devo finire di mettere in ordine i libri, ma lo farò domani. [lo= finire di mettere in ordine i libri]
  • “I have to finish putting the books, but I’ll do it tomorrow”[lo=finish putting the books in order]
  • “Sai che ci sono i saldi in via Roma?” “lo so, grazie”
  • “Do you know that there are sales in via Roma?” “I know thanks”

When direct pronouns are used in a sentence with an infinitive verb (usually after Dovere, Potere, Volere and Sapere), they can be attached to the infinitive verb which, however, loses the final vowel (Darli, Farlo, Aiutarti, etc.). the meaning of the sentence does not change if the pronoun is placed before the verb or joined to the infinitive.

  • Ho i libri e voglio darli a Lia = Ho i libri e li voglio dare a Lia.
  • (I have books and I want to give them to Lia).
  • È un lavoro noioso, ma dovete farlo = È un lavoro noioso, ma lo dovete fare.
  • (It’s a boring job, but you have to do it).
  • Se vuoi, posso aiutarti = Se vuoi, ti posso aiutare.
  • (If you want I can help you).
  • Ha l’auto, ma non sa guidarla = Ha l’auto, ma non la sa guidare
  • (He has a car, but he can’t drive it).

When the pronoun in Italian is joined to the infinitive of the verb, in a sentence with a verb in the perfect tense, the past participle does not agree with the pronoun.

  • Non ho voluto invitarle. Non le ho volute invitare.
  • (I didn’t want to invite them)
  • Non hai potuto comprarla? Non l’hai potuta comprare?
  • (Couldn’t you buy it?)
  • Abbiamo dovuto rifarli. Li abbiamo dovuti rifare.
  • (We had to redo them)

Direct pronouns in Italian do not join the infinitive used after the verbs [fare (to do)] and [lasciare (to leave)]

  • Perchè non mi lasciate leggere il giornale?
  • (Why don’t you let me read the paper?)
  • Ho scritto la relazione in italiano e la farò tradurre in tedesco.
  • (I wrote the report in Italian and will have it translated into German)

The form of courtesy of the direct object pronouns in Italian

For the form of courtesy in the singular, the pronoun La is used, both for the masculine and the feminine. For the plural we usually use Vi, but we can also use Li, which is a more formal (For a female group only, Le is used in the plural)

  • Ingegnere, La posso interrompere per un momento?
  • (Engineer, can I interrupt you for a moment?)
  • Dottoressa, se aspetta un attimo, La accompagno.
  • (Doctor, if you wait a moment, I’ll accompany you.)
  • Signori, Vi stavo cercando.
  • (Gentlemen, I was looking for you.)
  • Signori, Li stavo cercando.
  • (Gentlemen, I was looking for you.)
  • Signore, Le stavo cercando.
  • (Ladies, I was looking for you)

The negative form of the direct object pronouns in Italian

The negative form of the direct object pronouns in Italian is done by putting (non) in front of the pronoun:

(non + pronoun + verb)

  • Devo sono le chiavi? Non le trovo.
  • (Do I have the keys? I can not find them.)
  • È una trasmissione noiosa, non la guardo mai.
  • (It’s a boring show, I never watch it)
  • Hai tagliato i capelli: non ti riconoscevo.
  • (You cut your hair: I didn’t recognize you.)
  • Perchè non mi porti al cinema stasera?
  • (Why don’t you take me to the movies tonight)

The tonic forms of the direct pronouns

Tonic forms are other forms of the direct object pronouns in Italian and they are as follows:

SingularPlural
First personMeNoi
Second-personTeVoi
Third-person

Reflexvie
Lui, (esso)
Lei,(essa)
Loro,(essi)
Loro,(esse)
The tonic forms of the direct pronouns in Italian

Tonic forms are used, after these words:

  • Anche(pure) (also /as well/ too)
  • Neanche(nemmeno,neppure) (not even)
  • Meno (eccetto, salvo, tranne) (less / except)
  • Come (as)
  • Quanto (as)
  • Avete chiamato anche me?
  • (Did you call me too?)
  • Hanno invitato tutti, tranne te.
  • (They’ve invited everyone except you.)
  • Non ha aiutato nemmeno loro.
  • (It didn’t help them either.)
  • Non tutti si comportano come Lei, Signor Sandri.
  • (Not everyone behaves like you, Mr. Sandri.)
  • Non penso che Carlo sia veloce quanto me.
  • (I don’t think Carlo is as fast as I am.)

The tonic forms of direct pronouns in Italian are also used to emphasize the pronoun and they usually follow the verb.

  • Chiami me?
  • (Are you calling me?)
  • Posso Aiutare lui, ma non te.
  • (I can help him, but not you.)
  • Devi guardare me.
  • (You have to look at me)
  • Hai visto me o mio fratello ieri al supermercato?
  • (Did you see me or my brother yesterday at the supermarket?)
  • Prima accompagno lui all’aeroporto e poi voi alla stazione.
  • (First I take hime to the airport and then you to the station)

With the tonic forms of direct pronouns, the past participle does not have to agree with gender and number.

  • Hanno chiamato solo lei.
  • (They just called her)
  • Hanno invitato anche voi?
  • (Did they invite you too?)

The tonic form can be preceded by a prepostion.

  • Posso venire con te al mare domani?
  • (Can I go with you to the beach tomorrow?)

When pronouns in the atomic form come after these words they are usually preceded by “Di”

(Dentro (inside),fuori (outside), prima (before), dopo (after), sopra (above), sotto (below), senza (without), contro (against).

  • Prima di te ho avuto colleghi insopportabili.
  • (Before you, I had insufferable colleagues)

The reflexive form of the third person singular and the plural is (se). Often (se) is strengthened with (stesso/a/i/e)

  • Lui penso a se stesso e non si interessa mai agli altri.
  • (He thinks about himself and never cares about others.)