What is an indirect pronoun in Italian?
An indirect pronoun is a specific type of pronoun that replaces the indirect object in a sentence – typically representing the person who indirectly receives the action of the verb (often preceded by “to” or “for” in English).
In Italian, indirect pronouns (mi, ti, gli, le, ci, vi, gli) are distinct from direct pronouns.
- Direct pronouns replace the direct recipient of an action (i.e., the person or thing directly affected by the action). Direct pronouns answer the questions “What?” or “Who?” (without a preposition).
- Indirect pronouns, on the other hand, replace the person to whom or for whom the action is done. Indirect pronouns answer the questions “To whom?” or “For whom?” (with a preposition).
For example:
| Direct Object Pronouns | Vedo Marco. → Lo vedo. (I see Marco. → I see him.) | Lo replaces Marco (direct object). What? or Who? (no preposition) |
| Indirect Object Pronouns | Do un libro a Marco. → Gli do un libro. (I give a book to Marco. → I give him a book.) | Gli replaces a Marco (indirect object). To whom? or For whom?(with a preposition) |
Indirect Object Pronoun (Chart)
| Indirect Object Pronoun | English Equivalent | Example in Italian |
|---|---|---|
| Mi | To me | Marco mi manda un’email. Marco is sending (to) me an email. |
| Ti | To you (informal) | Ti scrivo una lettera. I am writing (to) you a letter. |
| Gli | To him | Gli do un consiglio. I give (to) him advice. |
| Le | To her | Le offro un caffè. I offer (to) her a coffee. |
| Le | To you (formal) | Le mando un’email. I’m sending (to) you an email. |
| Ci | To us | Ci racconta una storia. He/She is telling (to) us a story. |
| Vi | To you (plural) | Vi mando un messaggio. I’ll send (to)you (all) a message. |
| Gli | To them | Gli insegno l’italiano. I’m teaching (to) them Italian. |
Examples of Indirect Pronouns in Italian in a Sentence
| Dò un regalo a Luca. | Gli dò un regalo. | I give a gift to Luca. → I give him a gift. | “Gli” replaces “a Luca” (to Luca). |
| Mando un messaggio a Maria. | Le mando un messaggio. | I send a message to Maria. → I send her a message. | “Le” replaces “a Maria”(to Maria). |
| Presto la macchina a voi. | Vi presto la macchina. | I lend the car to you all. → I lend you all the car. | “Vi” replaces “a voi” (to you all). |
| Chiedo aiuto ai miei amici. | Gli chiedo aiuto. | I ask them for help. | “Gli” replaces “a loro” (to them). |
| Dico la verità a te. | Ti dico la verità . | I tell you the truth. | “Ti” replaces “a te” (to you). |
| Offriamo un caffè a Giulia. | Le offriamo un caffè. | We offer a coffee to Giulia. → We offer her a coffee. | “Le” replaces “a Giulia”(to Giulia). |
Position of Pronouns in Italian
with Conjugated Verb (most common case)
| Pronoun Before Conjugated Verb | English Translation |
|---|---|
| Ti vedo ogni giorno. | I see you every day. |
| Lo ascolto sempre. | I always listen to it. |
| Gli parlo spesso. | I talk to him often. |
with Modal Verbs
(This rule applies to all types of pronouns, not just indirect ones.)
With modal verbs (volere, potere, dovere), pronouns can be placed either before the modal verb or attached to the end of the infinitive verb. Both placements are correct, and you can choose whichever feels more natural.
| Pronoun Before Modal Verb | Pronoun Attached to Infinitive | English Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Ti devo dire una cosa | Devo dirti una cosa | I have to tell you something. |
| Lo puoi ripetere? | Puoi ripeterlo? | Can you repeat it? |
| Li vuoi chiamare? | Vuoi chiamarli? | Do you want to call them? |
with the Imperative Form
(This rule applies to all types of pronouns, not just indirect ones.)
In affirmative imperative sentences, pronouns are attached to the end of the verb. In negative imperative sentences, pronouns can either remain before the verb or attach to the end.
| Affirmative Imperative (Pronoun Attached to Verb) | Negative Imperative (Pronoun Before Verb) | Negative Imperative (Pronoun Attached to Verb) |
|---|---|---|
| Fammi vedere! (Show me!) | Non farmi vedere! (Don’t show me!) | Non farmelo vedere! (Don’t let me see it!) |
| Dammelo! (Give it to me!) | Non darmelo! (Don’t give it to me!) | Non darmelo! (Don’t give it to me!) |
| Mandaglielo! (Send it to him!) | Non mandaglielo! (Don’t send it to him!) | Non mandarglielo! (Don’t send it to him!) |
Direct vs. Indirect Object Pronouns in Italian: What’s the Difference?
In Italian, there are two types of pronouns: direct object pronouns and indirect object pronouns.
How Do They Differ?
- Direct object pronouns answer the questions “what?” or “who?”
- Indirect object pronouns answer the questions “to whom?” or “for whom?”
| Direct Object Pronouns | Indirect Object Pronouns |
|---|---|
| mi (me) | mi (to me, for me) |
| ti (you) | ti (to you, for you) |
| lo (it m., him) | gli (to him, for him) |
| la (it f., her, you polite) | le (to her, for her, for you polite) |
| ci (us) | ci (to us, for us) |
| vi (you pl.) | vi (to you pl., for you pl.) |
| li (them m.) | gli (to them, for them) |
| le (them f.) | gli (to them, for them) |
💡 Key Observation: The forms mi, ti, ci, and vi are the same for both direct and indirect pronouns. That means you only need to distinguish between them for the third-person singular and plural forms (lo, la, li, le → direct vs. gli, le → indirect).
Examples of Direct and Indirect Pronouns in Use
| Examples with Direct Pronouns | Examples with Indirect Pronouns |
|---|---|
| La mangio sempre. (I often eat it.) | Le mando una mail. (I send her an email.) |
| Li chiamo sempre. (I always call them.) | Le scrivo dopo. (I’ll write to her later.) |
| L’ho cucinato oggi. (I cooked it today.) | Gli telefono tutti i giorni. (I call them every day.) |
| Vedo il film stasera. (I’m watching the movie tonight.) | Ti parlo più tardi. (I’ll talk to you later.) |
| Lo vedo spesso. (I see him often.) | Le parlo ogni giorno. (I speak to her every day.) |
| Li ho invitati alla festa. (I invited them to the party.) | Vi scrivo una lettera. (I’m writing you a letter.) |
Test Your Italian
Not sure what your Italian level is? I’ve created a free online Italian test to help you determine it.How to Identify Direct vs. Indirect Pronouns
How to know whether a verb requires a direct or indirect pronoun:
There’s no other way than memorizing the list of verbs using indirect pronouns. In Italian, unlike some other languages, you cannot always predict whether a verb takes a direct or indirect object based on its meaning alone.
Common Italian Verbs That Require Indirect Object Pronouns
| Dire a qualcuno | To say / To tell someone | Ti dico la verità . (I tell you the truth.) |
| Dare a qualcuno | To give to someone | Le do il libro. (I give her the book.) |
| Chiedere a qualcuno | To ask someone | Gli chiedo un favore. (I ask him a favor.) |
| Telefonare a qualcuno | To phone someone | Ti telefono stasera. (I’ll phone you tonight.) |
| Scrivere a qualcuno | To write to someone | Scrivo una lettera a Marco. (I write a letter to Marco.) |
| Offrire a qualcuno | To offer to someone | Le offro un caffè. (I offer her a coffee.) |
| Insegnare a qualcuno | To teach someone | Gli insegno a nuotare. (I teach him how to swim.) |
| Mandare a qualcuno | To send to someone | Le mandiamo una cartolina. (We send a postcard to her.) |
| Prestare a qualcuno | To lend to someone | Ti presto i miei occhiali. (I lend you my glasses.) |
| Rispondere a qualcuno | To answer someone | Le rispondo subito. (I answer her right away.) |
| Piacere a qualcuno | To like / To please someone | Mi piace il gelato. (I like ice cream.) |
| Servire a qualcuno | To serve / To be useful to someone | Questa risorsa ti serve. (This resource is useful to you.) |
| Interessare a qualcuno | To interest someone | Mi interessa molto la storia. (History interests me a lot.) |
| Consigliare a qualcuno | To advise someone | Gli consiglio di studiare di più. (I advise him to study more.) |
| Raccontare a qualcuno | To tell (a story) to someone | Le racconto tutto. (I tell her everything.) |
| Credere a qualcuno | To believe in someone | Ti credo. (I believe you.) |
| Portare a qualcuno | To bring to someone | Ti porto il pranzo. (I bring you lunch.) |
💡 Tip: Add these verbs to your flashcards and remember that they require indirect object pronouns in Italian!
Learn more about Italian pronouns
- Italian Direct Object Pronouns
- Italian Double Object Pronouns
- Placement of Italian Pronouns in Sentences
