Words that replace a noun object: An object pronoun (il pronome oggetto) replaces a noun that is the object of the verb, so you don't repeat it. Italian has two kinds. A direct object pronoun answers who? or what? — «Mangio la pizza → La mangio» (I eat it). An indirect object pronoun answers to whom? or for whom? — «Scrivo a Luca → gli scrivo» (I write to him). Learning which pronoun to use, and where to put it, is the whole of this topic.
- il pronome oggetto
- the object pronoun — it stands in for a noun object
- il complemento oggetto (diretto)
- the direct object — the who/what the verb acts on (no preposition)
- il complemento di termine (indiretto)
- the indirect object — the to/for whom (introduced by «a»)
- il pronome diretto
- the direct object pronoun: mi, ti, lo/la, ci, vi, li/le
- il pronome indiretto
- the indirect object pronoun: mi, ti, gli/le, ci, vi, gli (loro)
- l'elisione
- elision — lo/la become l' before a vowel or h: «l'ho visto»
Why it carries the marks: Object pronouns appear in every reading text, listening clip and written answer — they are how natural Italian avoids repeating nouns. Choosing the right pronoun and placing it correctly is core Criterion A (Language) accuracy: examiners spot «Lo scrivo a lui» (should be «gli scrivo») at once.
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Two columns, four rows that differ: Learn the two sets side by side. mi, ti, ci, vi are the same whether direct or indirect — you only have to decide in the third person. Direct lo / la / li / le match the gender and number of the thing («Lo vedo» I see him/it, «Le vedo» I see them [f]). Indirect gli (to him / to them) vs le (to her) show to whom, and never change for a plural thing. Before a vowel, lo and la elide to l' («l'ascolto»); li / le / gli / le never elide.
| Person | Direct (who/what?) | Indirect (to whom?) |
|---|---|---|
| io → me | mi (me) | mi (to me) |
| tu → you | ti (you) | ti (to you) |
| lui / it (m) | lo (him/it) | gli (to him) |
| lei / it (f) | la (her/it) | le (to her) |
| noi → us | ci (us) | ci (to us) |
| voi → you (pl) | vi (you all) | vi (to you all) |
| loro (m/mixed) | li (them) | gli (to them) |
| loro (f) | le (them) | gli (to them) |
The tricky third person: First and second person are easy — mi, ti, ci, vi never change. The choices to memorise are in the third person: lo/la/li/le (direct, agree in gender & number) vs gli/le (indirect: gli = to him / to them, le = to her). Don't confuse direct le (them, feminine plural) with indirect le (to her): the verb tells you which — «Le vedo» I see them vs «Le parlo» I speak to her.
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Before the verb — or stuck to it: Placement is the part students get wrong. The default is before the conjugated verb: «La compro» (I buy it), «Non lo conosco» (I don't know him). But the pronoun attaches to the end of an infinitive (dropping its final -e), a gerund, and an informal imperative: «Voglio comprarla», «Sto guardandolo», «Compralo!». With potere/dovere/volere + infinitive you may put it either before the first verb or on the infinitive: «Lo voglio vedere» = «Voglio vederlo».
Where the pronoun sits
- Before a conjugated verb (default) — «Ti aspetto qui.» (I'll wait for you here.)
- In the negative, after «non» — «Non li vedo mai.» (I never see them.)
- Attached to an infinitive (drop the -e) — «Devo chiamarla.» (I have to call her.)
- Attached to a gerund — «Leggendolo, ho capito tutto.» (Reading it, I understood everything.)
- Attached to an informal imperative — «Ascoltami!» (Listen to me!) · «Diglielo!» (Tell it to him!)
Combined pronouns: indirect first, then direct: When you use both an indirect and a direct pronoun, the indirect comes first and changes shape: mi/ti/ci/vi → me/te/ce/ve, and gli/le → glie- (written as one word with the direct): «Me lo dai?» (Will you give it to me?), «Glielo spiego» (I explain it to him/her). This is advanced, but recognising glielo/gliela/glieli/gliele helps you read faster.
A short text told with pronouns: Here is a short everyday paragraph. Watch how each object pronoun replaces a noun already mentioned (la colazione → la; i miei amici → li), how indirect ci/gli mean to us / to him, and how the pronoun attaches to the infinitive in the last line (darglielo). Read it once for meaning, then tap Mostra traduzione for the English or the audio button to hear it.
IB-style task — i pronomi oggetto in azione
Un testo, frase per frase
- Ogni mattina mia madre prepara la colazione e io la mangio in fretta.
- Quando vedo i miei amici a scuola, li saluto e chiacchiero un po' con loro.
- Il professore ci spiega la grammatica e poi ci dà molti esercizi.
- Se Luca mi scrive un messaggio, gli rispondo subito.
- Ho comprato un regalo per mia sorella: voglio darglielo domani, al suo compleanno.
Steal this technique: Good writers name a noun once, then switch to a pronoun. It sounds natural and shows range for Criterion A. Reuse the frames «La/Lo + verb» (I do it), «Gli/Le + verb» (to him/her) and «verb + -lo/-la» (attach to an infinitive) in your own answers.
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The slips to watch for: Three mistakes dominate. 1. Using a direct pronoun for an indirect object — «Lo telefono» instead of «Gli telefono» (I phone him; «telefonare a» is indirect). 2. Wrong placement — «Voglio lo vedere» instead of «Voglio vederlo» / «Lo voglio vedere». 3. No past-participle agreement after a direct pronoun in the passato prossimo — «L'ho visto» when the object is feminine (should be «l'ho vista») or «Li ho comprato» (should be «li ho comprati»). Compare the right version with the mistake and the fix is clear.
Corretto
- Gli telefono ogni sera.
- Voglio vederlo domani.
- Ho comprato le mele e le ho mangiate.
Errore frequente
- Lo telefono ogni sera.
- Voglio lo vedere domani.
- Le ho mangiato.
Ask: direct or indirect, and does the participle agree?: Before you write a pronoun, do two checks. 1. Is the object direct (no «a») or indirect (introduced by «a»)? Direct → lo/la/li/le; indirect → gli/le. 2. In the passato prossimo after a direct pronoun (lo/la/li/le), make the participle agree: «l'ho vista», «li ho visti», «le ho viste». Indirect pronouns do NOT trigger agreement.