ILGUR: Italian Language, Grammar and Usage Resource

Studying relative pronouns in Italian (i pronomi relativi) can be complicated, and it is one of the few areas where understanding grammar in your own native language can help. The problem with English, for example, is that often relative pronouns are omitted. When learning the relative pronouns in Italian, try to use them and incorporate them in your English, as this may help you to understand them better in Italian.

REMEMBER, in Italian relative pronouns are never omitted (although they are often left out in informal speech).

When studying relative pronouns, you will have hear the combination pronoun and antecedent. What exactly is an antecedent? An antedecent is simply the word (or something phrase) which the pronoun refers back to. The antecedent more than likely precedes the pronoun (as it would be difficult to refer back to something that has not been mentioned yet) and is usually followed by its relative pronoun (although, in Italian, there are exceptions to this). In Italian, it is worth noting that some relative pronouns do not require antecedents.

Relative pronouns are important in Italian because they help to link phrases together and to avoid repetition. One of the hallmarks of Italian is its avoidance of repeating the same word over and over again. By learning the relative pronouns, it can help you sound more like a native speaker.

To better understand relative pronouns and when to use them, let’s look at some simple examples:

We found the dog. The dog ran away.

These sentences are very boring, and if you were to say them in Italian, it might sound childish, especially coming from an adult. So how can we make this sentence more sophisticated? The key to using relative pronouns is to find the common element between the two phrases. In our example, the common element between the two phrases is the noun, dog. Let’s combine them with a relative pronoun:

We found the dog that ran away.

In our English example, dog is the antecedent because it precedes the relative pronoun, that. That replaces the redundant use of the noun, dog, in the second sentence and creates a new phrases combining the two elements using the relative pronoun, that. The phrases, that ran away is now a relative or dependent clause because its meaning is now dependent upon the whole sentence for its meaning.

In Italian:

• Che and cui require noun antecedents. Che can either be the subject or direct object of the relative clause whereas cui functions as an indirect object or object of a preposition. — note that cui is usually preceeded by a preposition.


• Quello che or cosa are used when no antecedent is present. Quello che can be used when you want to start your sentence with what and is also the subject of your sentence, for example:
  
  Quello che dici è vero.
  What you say is true.
  
  Non so cosa vuole con te.
  I don’t know what she wants with you.


• Do not confuse the relative pronoun, che, with the conjunction, che, which often times requires the subjunctive with many verbs and expressions:
  
  Voglio il regalo che mi hai dato.
  I want the gift that you gave me.
  
  Voglio che mi dia il regalo.
  I want you to give me the gift.

Double object pronouns (i pronomi doppi) in Italian complicate and confuse learners of Italian. It is important to remember that, when using direct and indirect object pronouns together, certain rules must be applied:

1. When double object pronouns are used, they
   
   • precede conjugated verbs
   • attach to ecco
   • attach to infinitives
   • attach to commands (except the formal commands and negative commands).

2. The indirect object precedes the direct object. Note that the indirect objects change when combined with direct object pronouns (see chart below — click to enlarge):
   
3. Note that direct object pronouns will elide with conjugated forms of avere (ho, hai, ha and hanno). This applies to lo, la and the combined gli- forms:

   Mi ha detto la verità.
   He told me the truth.

   Me l’ha detta.
   He told it to me.

   Ti hanno sparato un proiettile.
   They shot a bullet at you.

   Te l’hanno sparato.
   They shot it at you.

   Gli hanno dato un regalo.
   They gave him a gift.

   Gliel‘hanno dato.
   They gave it to him.

4. Direct objects influence the past participle in compound tenses, even when they are combined. Indirect objects never influence the gender and number of past participles:

   Ho scritto una lettera a Marco.
   I wrote Marco a letter.
   
   L’ho scritta a Marco. [L' = la lettera *note how scritto becomes scritta]
   I wrote it to Marco.
   
   Gli ho scritto una lettera.
   I wrote him a letter.
   
   Gliel’ho scritta.
   I wrote it to him.

5. Below are some examples using double object pronouns:

   Ho comprato un vestito per Maria.
   I bought Maria a dress.
   
   Le ho comprato un vestito.
   I bought her a dress. [her = Maria]

   L’ho comprato per Maria.
   I bought it for Maria.

   Gliel’ho comprato.
   I bought it for her.

   Compraglielo. [her = Maria, it = the dress]
   Buy her it.
   
   Devi comprarglielo. [her = Maria, it = the dress]
   You have to buy her it.

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The pronoun, ci, is called a particella pronominale in Italian, but it can also be a reflexive pronoun or an object pronoun:

• Ci can be used as a reflexive pronoun or reciprocal for the first person plural
• Ci can also be a direct and indirect object pronoun for the first person plural

As a particella pronominale, ci has the following uses:

1. Ci can be used to mean here or there and is usually used once a place has been stated:

   Marco: Siete andati a Roma l’ultima estate?
   Daniela: Sì, certo. Mio marito ed io ci siamo andati. (ci = a Roma)

   Giovanna: Vado al mercato.
   Ascanio: Aspetta! Ci vado con te! (ci = al mercato)

   Olivia: Vieni in Germania per la festa?
   Marco: No, mi dispiace. Non ci vengo. (ci = in Germania)

   Marcello: Vai da Luca domani per il barbecue?
   Arturo: Sì! A che ora ci vai? (ci = da Luca)

   Michele: Vuoi andare al Cinema Sospiria?
   Angela: No! Non ci voglio andare. I biglietti sono troppo cari! (ci = al Cinema Sospiria)

2. Ci can also replace infinitive phrases that start with the preposition, a:

   Vai a nuotare stamattina?
   Sì, ci vado adesso. (ci = a nuotare)

3. Ci replaces noun phrases that follow the preposition, a, as with the following verbs:

   pensare a
   credere a
   rinunciare a
   giocare a
   partecipare a
   tenere a
   provare a,
   riuscire a

   Giochi a tennis durante la settimana?
   No, ci gioco tutti i fine settimana. (ci = a tennis)

4. Ci is also used with various idiomatic expressions, such as:

   volerci/metterci to take a certain amount of time, to require
   arrivarci to understand
   cascarci to fall for (a joke)
   contarci to promise
   starci to agree
   esserci (c’è, ci sono) there is, there are
   avercelo/la/li/le to possess, to own
   vederci to be able to see
   sentirci to be able to hear

5. Ci is also used with reflexive/reciprocal verbs to form the si + impersonale in order to avoid the si si construction of the third person singular/plural:

   dimenticarsi
   Naturalmente ci si dimentica il passato dopo un lungo periodo di tempo.
   One forgets the past after a long period of time.

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Direct and indirect objects confuse many people because it is often something that confuses us even in English. In this post, I will try to combine some English grammar with Italian grammar to make learning the use of direct and indirect object pronouns a bit easier!

In English, a direct object is a noun or pronoun that receives the action of the verb. Consider this sentence in English and Italian:

John ate the apple.
Giovanni ha mangiato la mela.

In both sentences, the apple (la mela) is the direct object because it receives the action of the verb (whereas John is the doer of the action — which makes him the subject of the sentence). In the next sentence, we will have a direct object and an indirect object. An indirect object indicates to whom or for whom the action is done and who/what receives the direct object.

I wrote Marie a letter.
Ho scritto a Maria una lettera.

The direct object is indicated in green. | The indirect object is bolded.

As you can see, Maria is the indirect object because she is the receiver of the direct object and an indirect recipient of the action. In English, indirect objects can stand alone without a preposition, but this is not possible. In Italian, when the indirect object is not a pronoun, the preposition, a, must precede it (the pronoun in Italian already conveys the idea of ‘to whom’ or ‘for whom’).

Let’s look at how direct and indirect objects can be replaced by pronouns in the example below:

1. I wrote a letter.
   Ho scritto una lettera.

2. I wrote it. (it = la lettera)
   L’ho scritta.

   (the direct object pronouns la and lo elide with conjugations of avere)
   (the past participle always agrees with the direct object pronouns lo and la)

3. I wrote it to Maria. (it = la lettera)
   L’ho scritta a Maria.

   (the past participle agrees with the direct object pronoun)

4. I wrote a letter to her. (to her = a Maria)
   Le ho scritto una lettera.
   
   (indirect object pronoun never affect the past participle)
5. I wrote it to her.
   Gliel’ho scritta.
   
   (remember that the past participle must agree in gender with the direct object pronoun)

Some verbs in Italian function differently than in English. The following verbs take indirect objects (while in English they would take direct objects). Remember that when the indirect object is a noun or proper noun, that the preposition, a, must precede it:

• chiedere to ask

  Hai chiesto a Giovanni quando comincia la festa?
  Did you ask John when the party starts?

• consigliare to advise

  Il professore ha consigliato agli studenti che devono studiare molte ore per l’esame.
  The professor advised the students that they have to study many hours for the exam.

• credere to believe

  Il poliziotto non ha creduto a mia madre.
  The policeman did not believe my mother.

• dare fastidio to bother

  Mio figlio da fastidio a mio marito quando fa la stessa domanda 10 volte.
  My son bothers my husband when he asks the same question 10 times.
  

• domandare to ask

  Gli domando un piccolo prestito.
  I am asking him for a small loan.
  

• fare bene to do well; to do good

  Gli esercizi fisicali fanno bene a tuo padre.
  The physical exercises are doing your father good.
  

• fare male to do harm

  Quando Giuseppe beve troppo latte, gli fa male.
  When Giuseppe drinks too much milk, it does him harm.

• fare paura to scare

  I gatti neri fanno paura a Luisa.
  Black cats scare Luisa.

• rispondere to respond

  Mio figlio ha risposto al medico che sta bene.
  My son responded to the doctor that he is well.

• somigliare to resemble, to look like

  La Kidman somiglia a Annamaria, vero?
  Nicole Kidman resembles Annamaria, don’t you think?

• telefonare to phone

  Non dimenticare di telefonare a Marco! Chiama da ieri.
  Don’t forget to phone Marco! He has been calling since yesterday.

• voler bene to love, to be fond of

  Voglio bene a Luisa.
  I am fond of Luisa.

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The pronoun ne can be confusing to English speakers, but it is not difficult to understand once you know how it works. After learning these rules, try to work it into your Italian. Practice using it in your writing and speaking so that it becomes second nature to you. Try looking for examples online (click here to repeat a search on Google News and see ne used in varying contexts) as this will help you to understand better it uses.

Ne has the following functions in Italian:

- Ne is used to replace partitive constructions. Consider it a way to avoid repeating the same thing over again. See the example below:

Vuoi del latte?
Do you want some milk?

No, non ne voglio. (ne = del latte)
No, I do not want any (of it).

As you can see in the example, del latte (some milk) is replaced with the pronoun, ne, which translates in English as any (of it).

Think of ne as a special object pronoun for the partitive.

- When the partitive is modified by an adjective, only the noun is replaced by ne, and the adjective remains and follows the preposition, di:

Vuoi del latte fresco?
Do you want some fresh milk?

Sì, grazie! Ne vorrei di fresco. (ne = del latte)
Yes, thank you! I would like some (of the fresh stuff).

Hai visto dei film interessanti?
Have you seen any interesting films?

Sì, ne ho visti di interessanti.
Yes, I have seen some interesting ones.

- Ne is used to substitute nouns when numbers and quantities (definite* or indefinite** but not tutto***) are involved. The rule is this: When the direct object is missing in the presence of a definite or indefinite quantity, then ne must be used.

Take note when the noun being replaced is modified by an adjective. The quantity and adjective remain, and the adjective agrees in gender and number with the item being replaced by ne.  See the examples below:

Vorresti due mele?
Would you like two apples?

Si, grazie! Ne vorrei due.
Yes, thank you! I would like two (of them).

Vorresti due mele rosse?
Would you like two red apples?

Si, grazie! Ne vorrei due rosse.
Yes, thank you! I would like two red ones.

Quante riviste hai ricevuto?
How magazines did you receive?

Ne ho ricevute tre. (ne = tre riviste)
I received three (of them).

Compra sempre troppe mele.
She always buys too many apples.

Perché ne compra troppe? (ne = troppe mele)
Why does she buy so many of them?

It should be noted that the past participle generally must agree in gender and number with the object which ne has replaced. In second example above, ne replaced ‘magazines’ (le riviste) causing the past participle to become ricevute.

Take note the agreement of the past participle when ne replaces definite and indefinite quantities that are not numbers in compound tenses:

Non ti piace la Diet?

You don’t like the diet soda?

No, mi dispiace. Però ne ho bevuto un sorso.

No, sorry. But I drank a sip of it. (ne = della Diet)

- Ne replaces prepositional phrases introduced by the preposition, di.

Hai scritto della polemica?
Did you write about the controversy?

Si, ne ho scritto. (ne = della polemica)
Yes, I wrote about it.

- Ne can also be used to substitute prepositional phrases introduced by da, but only when it the phrase represents motion from a place. Ne normally does not replace the agent in passive sentences (introduced by da).

Il cane ha corso nella stanza da letto, ma ne è uscito subito. (ne = dalla stanza da letto).

The dog ran into the room, but he went out immdiately.

- Ne can also be used with verbs that use the preposition, da, such as:

ottenere da:

Conoscevi Gino oggi?

You met Gino today?

Sì, comunque non ne ho ottenuto nulla. (ne = da Gino, da lui)

Yes, however I did not obtain anything from him.

Other verbs with da:

ricavare da
trarre da
risultare da

- Ne influences the past participle in compound tenses in certain situations, while in others it does not:

Ne does not influence the past participle when replacing prepositional phrases:

Hai scritto della polemica?

Did you write about the controversy?

Si, ne ho scritto. (ne = della polemica)

Yes, I wrote about it.

Ne does influence the past participle when it replaces a number or an indefinite quantity, where the past participle agrees in gender and number with the noun substituted for ne:

Ho comprato tre mele.

Ne ho comprate tre.

If the quantity is indicated by another noun (etto, chilo, pacco, cesto, tazza, sacco) the past participle agrees with the quantity noun and not with the object that was replaced:

Quante mele hai comprato al supermercato?

How many apples did you buy at the supermarket?

Ne ho comprato un etto.

I bought 100 grams of them.

With reflexive verbs, the past participle agrees with the object replaced by ne and not with the subject (remember, that with reflexive verbs, si becomes se before ne):

Giovanna si è comprata tre gonne.

Giovanna bought herself three skirts.

Giovanna se ne è comprate tre.

Giovanna bought herself three of them.

- Ne is also used in various idiomatic expressions (as seen below). Remember that in many of these constructions, ne is not translated literally and may have no meaning in the sentence:

andarsene
farne a meno
non poterne più
valerne la pena
combinarne di tutti i colori
venirsene
starsene
partirsene
rimanersene

*Definite quantities: any number (1, 10, 100, 12012, ecc.), etto, chilo, pacco, cesto, tazzo, sacco, sorso, etc.
**Indefinite quantities are: molto, poco, troppo, tanto, nessuno, alcuno, qualcuno.
*** Tutto is never used with ne because, as it means “all” or “whole”, there’s no partitive.

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