Say you are at a quaint little shop in Rome, picking out souvenirs for your loved ones. You find a beautiful print of the Colosseum and ask the shopkeeper, Quanto costa? (How much is it?). Upon agreeing to the price, you can sound more like a local by saying La prendo (I’ll take it) instead of Prendo questa stampa (I’ll take this print). In this example, la is a direct object pronoun replacing questa stampa. Using this little word makes the phrase shorter and more natural.
This is the role of Italian direct object pronouns: they replace the direct object in a sentence, preventing repetitive language and smoothing the flow of conversation. They’re typically used to answer the questions ‘Who?’ or ‘What?’.
With the help of this guide, you’ll be able to confidently use direct object pronouns in Italian , adding an authentic flair to your conversations and bringing you one step closer to speaking like a true local. To see how much you’ve learned, don’t forget to complete the free quiz at the end of this lesson to test your new-found knowledge!
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When you start learning Italian, it’s pretty common to keep repeating the same basic phrases and words, but if you’re gunning for fluency, it’s time to shake things up a bit. The key? Familiarize yourself with Italian pronouns to inject rhythm into your sentences!
Cominciamo! (Let’s get started!)
Italian Direct Object Pronouns Chart
| Italian Direct Object Pronouns | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Italian | English | ||
| unstressed (atonic) | stressed (tonic) | ||
| 1° person singular (masc. / fem.) | mi | me | me |
| 2° person singular (masc. / fem.) | ti | te | you |
| 3° person singular (masc.) | lo, la (formal) | lui, lei (formal) | him, it, you (formal) |
| 3° person singular (fem.) | la, la (formal) | lei, lei (formal) | her, it, you (formal) |
| 1° person plural (masc. / fem.) | ci | noi | us |
| 2° person plural (masc. / fem.) | vi | voi | you |
| 3° person plural (masc.) | li | loro | them |
| 3° person plural (fem.) | le | loro | them |
Italian direct object pronouns vary based on the gender (masculine or feminine) and number (singular or plural) of the noun they replace.
Like indirect object pronouns, they are categorized into two types: unstressed (atonic) and stressed (tonic). The atonic pronouns blend into the sentence with less emphasis, as in Pietro mi ama (Pietro loves me), where mi is a direct object pronoun.
On the other hand, tonic pronouns are used for emphasis, as in Pietro ama me (Pietro loves me), where me is stressed. In other words, of all the people Pietro could love, he loves me!
How to use Italian Direct Object Pronouns
Let’s explore these differences in more detail to better understand their usage.
Unstressed (atonic) direct object pronouns in Italian
What they are: Atonic direct object pronouns are the most frequently used in Italian. With them, the focus of the sentence is shifted towards the action (verb) rather than the object (pronoun).
Placement: before the conjugated verb.
Here are some examples:
- Luigi la chiama al telefono tutti i giorni (Luigi calls her on the phone every day).
- Li hanno chiamati per il rimborso (They called them for the refund).
- Amo molto i film. Mi piace guardarli al cinema (I love movies. I like to watch them at the cinema).
Exceptions in pronoun positioning:
With infinitive, gerund, and imperative forms, these pronouns follow the verb, forming a single word:
- Infinitive example: Non vedo l’ora di leggerlo (I can’t wait to read it).
- Gerund example: Guardandolo per la prima volta mi vennero i brividi! (Looking at it for the first time, I got shivers!)
- Imperative example: Mangiala! (Eat it!). In the imperative negative form, the direct object pronoun can be placed either before the infinitive verb or after it. Thus, both non guardarla and non la guardare can be used with the meaning “don’t look at her.”
Attenzione!: with the present perfect, the direct object pronouns lo and la shorten to l’ in front of the auxiliary verb avere (to have). For example:
- Anna ha chiamato Lucia (Anna called Lucia) —> Anna l’ha chiamata (Anna called her).
Also, with this tense, the ending of the past participle changes according to the gender and number of the direct object pronoun. For example:
- Ho comprato la borsa (I bought the bag) —> L’ho comprata (I bought it – feminine) or
- Ho comprato il libro (I bought the book) —> L’ho comprato (I bought it – masculine).
Stressed (tonic) direct object pronouns in Italian
What they are: used in sentences where the focus is on the pronoun itself, or when the pronoun stresses the identity of the person involved, often contrasting with someone else.
Placement: always follow the verb.
Here are some examples:
- Hanno scelto lei per quella parte nel musical, non me (They chose her for that part in the musical, not me).
- Ora andiamo a cercare un regalo per loro? (Now shall we go find a gift for them?)
- Io ho sempre amato te, non lui! (I have always loved you, not him!)
Attenzione: tonic direct object pronouns can often appeare after words such as anche (also), persino (even), eccetto (except):
- Anna e Sandro hanno invitato anche voi al matrimonio? (Did Anna and Sandro also invite you to the wedding?)
- Hanno partecipato tutti alla riunione tranne noi (Everyone attended the meeting except for us).
Italian Direct Object Pronouns Quiz
Let’s test your knowledge of Italian direct object pronouns. Fill in the blanks in these sentences using the correct direct object pronoun.
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Ci vediamo lì! (See you there!)
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