Italian indirect object pronouns are words such as mi(to/for me), ti(to/for you), or gli(to/for them), that stand in for a phrase with the structure: a(to/for) + nounNo definition set for nounLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. / noun phraseNo definition set for noun phraseLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum.. For example, you use an indirect object pronoun when you ask someone “Could you do a favor for me?” or “Could you do me a favor?”.
In this post, we’ll talk about what indirect object pronouns are and how to use them in Italian. You’ll see how, like in English, Italian indirect object pronouns come either with or without the preposition. Iniziamo! (Let’s begin!)
In Italian, indirect object pronouns are used in place of a(to/for) + noun. They answer the questions a chi? () or a che cosa? (to/for what?).
Margherita gli ha regalato un libro.
Margherita gave him a book.
Margherita ha regalato un libro a lui.
Margherita gave a book to him.
There are two types of object pronouns in Italian: direct object pronouns and indirect object pronouns. What’s the difference?
Indirect object pronouns → replace a + a noun. This is usually a noun that receives something (“I you gave that”) or that the action is done on behalf of (e.g. “I did it for you”).
Direct object pronouns → replace the direct object of a verb, which is the noun that is directly affected by the action of the verb (e.g. “I made it.”)
In Italian, there are two types of indirect object pronouns:
unstressed indirect object pronouns
a + stressed pronounNo definition set for stressed pronounLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum.
Let’s take a look at the forms!
Unstressed indirect object pronouns | a + stressed pronouns | Translation |
|---|---|---|
mi | a me | (to/for) me |
ti | a te | (to/for) you |
gli | a lui | (to/for) him/it |
le Le | a lei a Lei | (to/for) her/it (to/for) you (formal) |
ci | a noi | (to/for) us |
vi | a voi | (to/for) you (pl.) |
gli or loro | a loro | (to/for) them |
Notice:
There is no “it” in Italian, instead use gli / a lui(him) or le / a lei(her), depending on the genderNo definition set for genderLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. of the noun you’re replacing.
For the unstressed pronoun “them,” we can use either gli or loro, regardless of gender, but loro sounds a bit more old fashioned. The word order is different though!
Gli racconto una storia. / Racconto loro una storia.
I tell them a story.
The unstressed indirect pronouns :mi, ti, ci, and vi look exactly like the direct object pronouns mi, ti,ci , and vi! So, when memorizing indirect object pronouns, remember that only gli/le and loro are special indirect object forms 😀 Easy!
Check out this comparison between direct and indirect object pronouns to see them side-by-side!
Here’s how to choose whether to use an unstressed or a stressed pronoun for an indirect object:
Use an unstressed indirect object pronoun for the indirect object if you’re not adding particular emphasis:
Use a stressed pronoun for the indirect object for emphasis or clarification:
Non hanno chiesto a me, hanno chiesto a te.
They didn’t ask me, they asked you.
We also use stressed pronouns when you do something to/for yourself (i.e. when the indirect object is the same as the subject). But we use them a little differently.
Here is how to use a reflexive indirect object pronoun.
Do not use gli to mean “(to/for) himself” or le to mean “(to/for) herself”! Instead use the stressed indirect object pronouns:
a sè (to/for himself/herself)
Riccardo pensa solo a sè
Riccardo only thinks of himself.
a se stesso(to/for himself) /a se stessa(to/for herself)
Riccardo pensa solo a se stesso.
Riccardo only thinks of himself.
For all the other persons, we use: a + stressed pronoun + stesso/a/i/e.
So badare a me stessa!
I can take care of myself!
There are some verbs that are usually or often followed by an indirect object and, consequently, also take indirect object pronouns. For example:
Credere a (to believe someone)
Vi abbiamo creduto fin dall’inizio.
We believed you from the beginning.
Credere(to believe) in Italian has two forms:
credere a;(to believe a person who said something)
credere in (to trust or be confident in someone’s abilities)
This is a difference between English and Italian! Where in English, “believe” takes a direct object, in Italian credere instead takes an indirect object!
Comprare a(to buy something for someone)
Le ho comprato un accappatoio nuovo.
I bought her a new bathrobe.
Just like the English “to buy,” the Italian comprare can be used with just a direct objectNo definition set for direct objectLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. or with both a direct and indirect object:
Just a direct object:
comprare qualcosa (to buy something)
Tu lo compri.
You buy it.
Both types of objects:
comprare qualcosa a qualcuno (to buy something for someone)
Tu lo compri a lei.
You buy it for her.
Though many verbs are just usually or often used with an indirect object, some verbs require indirect objects. The most important one: piacere(to like).
In Italian, when we say “I like something” we are literally saying “(something) is pleasing to me.” Thus, with the verb piacere, the person who likes something is actually an indirect object, so will always be replaced by an indirect object pronoun!
Mi piace il calcio.
I like soccer.
lit. lit. Soccer is pleasing to me.
Have a look at this list of Italian verbs that require an indirect object pronoun, or check our our article on piacere and similar verbs to learn more!
Unstressed indirect object pronouns most often go before the verbNo definition set for verbLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum., for example:
Gli ho parlato delle nostre idee per la nuova casa.
I talked to him about our ideas for the new home.
However, there are four situations in which indirect object pronouns will sometimes come after the verb instead:
When you’re using modal verbsNo definition set for modal verbsLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. such as dovere(have to), potere(can), or volere(want) you have two options:
You can place the indirect object pronoun at the end of the infinitiveNo definition set for infinitiveLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum., attached to it by dropping the “e” from the infinitive ending:
Devo parlarle.
I have to talk to her.
Voglio comprarvi un bel regalo.
I wanted to buy you a nice gift.
You can place it before the verb, as usual:
Le devo parlare.
I have to talk to her.
Vi volevo comprare un bel regalo.
I wanted to buy you a nice gift.
When using another verb that works with an infinitive, like such as sapere(to know or to be able to), sperare(to hope to), or cercare(to try to), you have the same two options:
Attached to the infinitive
Ho cercato di spiegargli il congiuntivo.
I tried to explain the subjunctive to him.
Before the verb
Gli ho cercato di spiegare il congiuntivo.
I tried to explain the subjunctive to him.
When using an indirect object with the imperativeNo definition set for imperativeLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum., the indirect object pronoun is always attached to the end of the imperative verb!
Parlale stasera!
Talk to her tonight!
Compriamogli un regalo!
Let’s buy him a gift!
Check out our post on Italian imperative verbs to learn more about giving commands in Italian!
When using a gerundNo definition set for gerundLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. with an indirect object, the indirect object pronoun is always attached to the end of the gerund.
Parlandole, ho capito molte cose.
By talking to her, I understood many things.
Chiedendogli aiuto finiremo il lavoro prima.
By asking them for help we will finish the work sooner.
The steps for using indirect object pronouns in Italian are illustrated by the example below.
Remember that you use an indirect object pronoun instead of an indirect object that has been previously mentioned in the context of the sentence or a conversation. So, let’s start from a sentence that has an indirect object, and show you how to sub in the correct pronoun. Here’s our sentence:
Luca ha detto una barzelletta divertente a Marco.
Luca told Marco a fun joke.
We ask ourselves some questions to find the indirect object of the sentence:
What is the main action of the sentence? → ha detto
the verb is dire(to tell)
Who does the action? → Luca
the subject is Luca
What did Luca (subject) tell (verb)? → una barzella divertante
the direct object is una barzella divertante(a fun joke)
Who did Luca tell the joke to? → a Marco
The indirect object is (a) Marco(Marco)
We find corresponding pronoun:
The subject pronoun for Marco is lui(he)
The indirect object pronoun for lui is gli(to/for him)
Now we can replace the a + indirect object with an indirect object pronoun! Remember to put the indirect object pronoun before the verb! And the result is… 🥁 🥁 🥁
Luca gli ha detto una barzelletta divertente.
Luca told him a fun joke.
Look at that lovely indirect object pronoun! ✌ 🎯 🎯 🎯
When an Italian sentence uses both an indirect and a direct object pronoun, the result is a double pronoun → two pronouns combined into a single unit! For example:
Glielo farò.
I will get it for her.
Want to learn more? Then check out our post on Italian double pronouns!
Indirect object pronouns replace the indirect object of a sentence → a noun which would have been introduced by the preposition a(to/for)
There are four steps to identify the correct IOP:
Find the main verb;
Ask “to/for what?” is the action done;
Check the indirect object pronouns table to find the accurate one in gender and number;
Place the indirect object pronoun before the verb, except with: modal verbs; verb+infinitive; imperative, and gerund.
Ready to master your indirect object pronoun skills? 💪 🧠 Follow the link to access our activities on Italian Indirect Object Pronouns!
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