ILGUR: Italian Language, Grammar and Usage Resource

Pronouns (like prepositions) are one of the most difficult aspects of the Italian language and require thinking just a bit differently than how you would use them in English. While the pronouns in Italian are similar in many respects to their English counterparts, there are differences in use. I’ll try to sum up succinctly the difference between the various pronouns and what they mean and how they are used. Click on the link for each heading to learn more about that particular type of pronoun (NB: any chart can be enlarged by clicking on it).

1. Subject pronouns
   Subject pronouns are pronouns that replace subjects of sentences. In Italian, they are often omitted because the verb form relays the subject so the use of the pronoun can be overkill. However, there are some instances where it is needed. The subject pronouns in Italian are:
2. Direct object pronouns
   Direct objects in a sentence receive the action of the verb, as in this sentence below:

   Ha mangiato la mela.
   She ate the apple.

   The apple is the direct object of the sentence. Not all verbs in Italian take direct objects - some take indirect objects. The direct object pronouns are:

3. Indirect object pronouns
   In Italian, indirect objects are preceded by the preposition, a. That’s how you know if you have an indirect object if you see a + noun. It is also important to remember that when your noun (proper or common noun) is used instead of a pronoun, don’t forget the preposition, a!! However, when pronouns are used, the preposition a is not — only with nouns.

   Let’s consider this example below:

   She bought John a new shirt.
   Ha comprato a Giovanni una nuova camicia.

   In the sentence above, John is the indirect object. Why? John is an indirect participant since the receiver of the action is not John (he wasn’t bought!), but the shirt. Now if we said:

   She bought him a new shirt.
   Gli ha comprato una nuova camicia.

   The indirect object pronouns are very similar to the direct object ones with a few minor changes:

4. Direct and indirect object pronouns in the same sentence
   The hard part comes when you have both indirect and direct object pronouns in your sentence. This handy chart should help you use combined pronouns more effectively:direct and indirect object are named:
   Angela wrote John a letter.
   Angela ha scritto a Giovanni una lettera.

   direct object is a pronoun:
   Angela wrote it to John.
   L’ha scritta a Giovanni.

   indirect object is a pronoun:
   Angela wrote him a letter.
   Gli ha scritto una lettera.

   direct and indirect object are pronouns:
   Angela wrote it to him.
   Gliel’ha scritta.
   

5. Reflexive pronouns
   Reflexive pronouns also confuse English speakers because we often do not use them in our sentences. Also, Italian uses some reflexives where English does not. The reflexive pronouns are:A reflexive pronoun refers back to the subject of the sentence. The reflexive pronoun always agrees with the subject of the sentence (since, in essence, they are one and the same thing). It is important to note that, in Italian, if the action is done to the subject, then a reflexive is typically used. This is common for the verb to break, rompersi:

   The plate broke.
   Il piatto si è rotto.
   literally: The plate broke itself.

   But what if we said:

   The child broke the plate.
   Il bambino ha rotto il piatto.

   Do you see the difference? In the first sentence, the action was redirected back to the subject — in essence the subject and direct object are the same thing. In the second example, the plate becomes the receiver of the action, the direct object. Subject and direct object are different, and the action is directed le=”font-style: italic;”>towards the direct object, and not back onto itself.