ILGUR: Italian Language, Grammar and Usage Resource

The following verbs take indirect objects or indirect object pronouns. Remember that some of the verbs in English, while they might take a direct object, do not do so in Itailan:

(The indirect objects are in bold in the examples below)

chiedere | to ask

Gli ho chiesto, però non lo sapeva.
I asked him but he didn’t know.

consigliare | to advise

Consiglio a Jenna, ma non mi ascolta mai.
I am advising Jenna, but she never listens to me.

dare | to give

Hai dato la lettera a Paolo?
Did you give Paolo the letter?

dire | to tell

Le ho detto che non voglio andare!
I told her I don’t want to go.

domandare | to ask

Il carabiniere ci domandava dei nostri passaporti.
The carabinier was asking us about our passports.

imprestare | to lend

Gli hai imprestato la tua bici di nuovo?
Did you lend them your bike again?

insegnare | to teach

Insegnavo inglese a Maria, ma ho gettato la spugna.
I was teaching English to Maria, but I threw in the towel.

mandare | to send

Mia madre ci ha mandato un bel regalo per la nostra casa nuova.
My mother sent us a great gift for our new home.

mostrare | to show

Mostrerò a Annalisa la mia nuova macchina quando arriva.
I will show Annalina my new car when she arrives.

offrire | to offer

Ti ho offerto qualcosa da bere, ma hai detto di no.
I offered you a drink but you said no.

portare | to bring

Portagli le chiavi! Deve scappare!
Bring him the keys! He has to to run!

prestare | to lend

La professoressa Le presterà il suo libro. (formal)
The teacher will lend you her book.

preparare | to prepare

Gianna prepara a Marco una cena deliziosa stasera.
Gianna is preparing Marco a delicious dinner.

regalare | to give (a gift, present)

A Natale regalo ai postini una piccola torta.
At Christmas I give the postmen a little cake.

rendere | to return

Non mi piace il colore della maglietta. Vorrei rendere a Maria il suo regalo generoso.
I don’t like the sweater. I would like to return the generous gift to Maria.

riportare | to return

Puoi riportare a Melissa gli appunti?
Can you return the notes to Melissa?

rispondere | to respond

Non le risponde. Non l’ha sentita?
He is not responding to her. Didn’t he hear her?

scrivere | to writer

Le ho scritto, e aspetto la sua risposta.
I wrote her, and I am waiting for her response.

telefonare | to call, to telephone

Gli ho telefonato, ma non ha risposto.
I telephoned him, but he did not answer.

Remember that in cases where actually people or things are mentioned (and not pronouns), they must be preceded by the preposition, a:

Gli telefono.
I am telephoning him.

Telefono a Giovanni.
I am telephoning John.

Also remember, that the indirect object pronouns do not influence the past participle in compound tenses:

Gli ho telefonato ieri.
I called him yesterday.

Le ho telefonato ieri.
I called her yesterday.

NB: The main thing to keep track of is the third person singular and plural, which differ from the third person singular and plural of the direct objects. These tend to trick up most people.

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