Italian Direct Pronouns

In this video you will understand how to recognize and use correctly the Italian direct object pronouns. You can download the PDF of the lesson here!

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But first... What's a pronoun? 

A PRONOUN is something that is used to replace and not repeat the name of a person a thing or an animal.

For example:

• Maria mangi la mela?
• No, non la mangio 
• Luigi hai le chiavi di casa? 
• No non le ho.

Let’s analyze a little bit more the direct pronouns.

These pronouns substitute the direct object. They are used as a direct object when the verb is not followed by a preposition. They answer the question “CHI” (who) or “COSA” (what?)

• Mangio una mela
•  "una mela" is our direct object because it answers the question COSA?
• Ho visto Paolo -- in this case the direct object is PAOLO because it answers the question CHI.

Here are the direct pronouns:

• MI
•  TI
•  LO/LA
• CI
• VI 
• LI/LE

For example…

• Gino vuole me : Gino MI vuole
• Paola chiama te = Paola TI chiama
• Maria vende la macchina (lei) = Maria LA vende
• Luca ha visto me e mia cugina al parco = Luca CI ha viste
• Tania ha parlato con te e Teo (voi) = Tania VI ha parlato
• Giovanni ha mangiato le mele = Giovanni LE ha mangiate

The direct pronouns are usually found before the verb!

 Let me show you some sentences…

• Gianna chi ti porta a scuola? Mi porta papà.
• Luca, dove sei? Ti sento ma non ti vedo!

When you have a verb in the infinitive form and before that verb you have a modal verbs the direct pronoun will need to be added to the infinitive verb or it will need to go before the modal verb:

Let’s see an example to make this clear:

• Carlo, chiudi la porta per favore?

Two options here… 

• No, voglio lasciarla aperta
  • • In this case you have the verb VOGLIO which is a modal verb VOLERE (io voglio) … in this answer we added the pronoun LA directly (which refers and substitutes “la porta”) at the end of the infinitive verb LASCIARE so lasciare becomes LASCIARLA (lasciare + la)

The other option is 

• No, la voglio lasciare aperta
  • • In this case you simply add the direct pronoun before the modal verb… so once again your modal verb is VOGLIO from volere… and before that you have LA (which refers to the door… la porta)

The pronoun LO can actually be used to entirely substitute a whole sentence.

Look at this example:

• Francesco viene a cena da noi domani sera? Non lo so

 In this case LO substitutes the entire sentence 

Non lo so … I don’t know… what don’t you know… if Francesco is coming to dinner…

BE CAREFUL with words that begin with a vowel!

Pronouns that are for singular third person I’m talking about LO, LA can loose the vowel and be used with an apostrophe and they will become L’. LI and LE will never make this change!

Let’s check out an example together:

• Accompagni Giorgia in piscina?
• Si! l’accompagno io!
• Giorgia is substituted by LA and since the verb ACCOMPAGNARE begins with a vowel you will use an apostrophe and LA will become L’

Same thing with LO

• Maria ama Silvio?
• Sì, l’ama molto!

Whilst with LI and LE you do not need to make a change:

• Il meccanico aggiusta le macchine d’epoca?
• Certo le aggiusta tutte!
• Ami i tuoi fratelli Gino e Pino?
• Sì, li amo molto! 

Your goal in the upcoming weeks is to study these and be ready to next week’s video where you will have a little quiz next video on these pronouns!