Direct Object Pronouns in Italian (Pronomi Diretti)

What’s a Pronoun?

Pronouns are little words that help us avoid repeating the same nouns over and over. They make our speech quicker, smoother, and more natural—especially in conversation. Just like in English, Italian uses pronouns a lot.

For example:

• I know it – here, it is a pronoun replacing something already mentioned.
• Let’s meet them – them refers to people we’ve already talked about.

In Italian (and many other languages), we make a clear distinction between direct and indirect object pronouns. In this post, we’ll focus on the direct ones.

What’s a Direct Object Pronoun in Italian?

A direct object is the part of the sentence that answers the question “what?” or “who?” after the verb.

Take these examples:

• I want a coffee. → What do I want? A coffee → “a coffee” is the direct object.
• I’m going to meet my friends. → Who am I going to meet? My friends → “my friends” is the direct object.

Now, instead of repeating the object, we can simply replace it with a direct object pronoun. Facile!

Let’s see how that works in Italian:

Vuoi il caffè? – Do you want some coffee?
Sì, lo voglio. – Yes, I want it.

Vedi i tuoi amici stasera? – Are you seeing your friends tonight?
Sì, li vedo. – Yes, I’m seeing them.

These pronouns (lo, li, etc.) help us avoid repeating “coffee” or “friends” every time we speak.

Direct Object vs. Direct Object Pronouns

Example Sentence	What’s Happening?
Ho letto un libro. (I read a book.)	“Un libro” is the direct object – it answers “what?”
L’ho letto. (I read it.)	“L’” is the direct object pronoun replacing “un libro”

?Direct Object: Answers “what?” or “who?” in a sentence.

?Direct Object Pronoun: Replaces the direct object to avoid repetition and keep things short and sweet.

The Direct Object Pronouns in Italian (Chart)

Pronouns in Action: Questions & Answers

Using mi, ti, ci, vi correctly is super important—they often get mixed up!

• Mi vedi? – Do you see me?
  Sì, ti vedo. – Yes, I see you.
• Ci vedi? – Do you see us?
  Sì, vi vedo. – Yes, I see you all.
• Mi sentite? – Do you all hear me?
  No, non ti sentiamo. – No, we don’t hear you.
• Ci sentite? – Do you all hear us?
  No, non vi sentiamo. – No, we don’t hear you all.

Where Do Pronouns Go in a Sentence?

The general rule: The pronoun goes before the conjugated verb. This is different from English!

• Lo prendo – I take it
• Lo vedo – I see him
• Mi chiami? – Can you call me?

With the Passato Prossimo (Past Tense)

(Skip this section if you’re a total beginner—but peek if you’re curious!)

Usually, past participles with avere stay the same (e.g., ho mangiato), but not when a direct object pronoun comes before the verb. In that case, the participle agrees in gender and number with the pronoun.

Let’s break it down:

• Ho preparato un dolce. → L’ho preparato. (masc. sing.)
• Ho preparato una torta. → L’ho preparata. (fem. sing.)
• Ho preparato gli spaghetti. → Li ho preparati. (masc. pl.)
• Ho preparato le tagliatelle. → Le ho preparate. (fem. pl.)

Pro Tip:

• L’ = used for singular (with apostrophe)
• Li/Le = plural (no apostrophe)
• The past participle changes to match the pronoun!

With the Imperative (Commands)

Informal Commands (Tu, Noi, Voi):

• Mangialo! – Eat it! (attach pronoun at the end)
• Non lo mangiare! or Non mangiarlo! – Don’t eat it! (both are fine)

Formal Commands (Lei):

• Lo mangi! – Eat it.
• Non lo mangi! – Don’t eat it.
  (Here, the pronoun goes before the verb.)

Position of the Direct Pronoun in a Sentence

The general rule is that the pronouns always precede the conjugated verbs, which is the opposite of English. For example:

• Lo prendo – I it take 
• Lo vedo – I him see
• Mi chiami? – Can you me call?

However, there are a few exceptions to the general rule when the pronouns are placed after the verb. This happens with modal verbs, infinitive verbs, and the imperative form.

Direct Pronouns and the modal verbs

With modal verbs (dovere, potere, volere), the direct pronouns can take two different positions: either before the modal verb or at the end of the infinitive following the modal verb, after dropping the last “e” of the infinitive.

Let’s see it in practice.

• “La voglio vedere ” is the same as “Voglio vederla” – I want to see her
• “Ti posso chiamare? is the same as “Posso chiamarti?” – Can I call you?
• “Lo vogliamo comprarlo” is the same as “Vogliamo comprarlo” – We want to buy it 

Either way works perfectly in Italian, and there is no preference between the two forms. Italians use both equally.