Italian Pronoun Placement
Where to put direct, indirect, and reflexive pronouns
Italian Pronouns Overview
Italian pronouns replace nouns to avoid repetition. Their placement depends on the verb form. Unlike English, Italian pronouns often come before the verb.
Direct Object
Who/what receives action
mi, ti, lo/la, ci, vi, li/le
Lo vedo. (I see him.)
Indirect Object
To/for whom
mi, ti, gli/le, ci, vi, gli
Gli parlo. (I speak to him.)
Reflexive
Action to oneself
mi, ti, si, ci, vi, si
Mi lavo. (I wash myself.)
Complete Pronoun Chart
| Subject | Direct Object | Indirect Object | Reflexive |
|---|---|---|---|
| io (I) | mi (me) | mi (to me) | mi (myself) |
| tu (you) | ti (you) | ti (to you) | ti (yourself) |
| lui (he) | lo (him) | gli (to him) | si (himself) |
| lei (she) | la (her) | le (to her) | si (herself) |
| noi (we) | ci (us) | ci (to us) | ci (ourselves) |
| voi (you pl.) | vi (you) | vi (to you) | vi (yourselves) |
| loro (they) | li/le (them m/f) | gli (to them) | si (themselves) |
Pronoun Placement Rules
1. With Conjugated Verbs → BEFORE
Pronouns go BEFORE conjugated verbs (present, past, future, etc.)
Lo vedo. (I see him.)
Not: Vedo lo ❌
Mi piace la pizza. (I like pizza.)
Gli ho dato il libro. (I gave him the book.)
2. With Infinitives → ATTACHED to end
Pronouns attach to the end of infinitives (drop the final -e)
Voglio vederlo. (I want to see him.)
vedere + lo = vederlo
Devo parlargli. (I must speak to him.)
parlare + gli = parlargli
Alternative: Can also go before modal verb
Lo voglio vedere. (Also correct)
3. With Positive Commands → ATTACHED to end
With affirmative imperatives, attach pronouns to the end
Dimmi! (Tell me!)
di' + mi = dimmi
Chiamalo! (Call him!)
Scrivimi! (Write to me!)
4. With Negative Commands (tu) → BEFORE
With negative "tu" commands, pronouns go BEFORE the verb
Non mi dire! (Don't tell me!)
NOT: Non dirmi! (though some speakers use this)
Non lo fare! (Don't do it!)
For Lei/voi/noi negative commands, attachment is still OK
5. With Gerunds → ATTACHED to end
Pronouns attach to gerunds (-ando, -endo forms)
Vendendolo... (Selling it...)
Parlandomi... (Speaking to me...)
Double Pronouns (Indirect + Direct)
When using both indirect and direct object pronouns together:
Rule: Indirect + Direct, both BEFORE verb
The indirect pronoun comes first and changes form
Indirect Pronoun Changes:
mi + lo/la/li/le = me lo/la/li/le
ti + lo/la/li/le = te lo/la/li/le
ci + lo/la/li/le = ce lo/la/li/le
vi + lo/la/li/le = ve lo/la/li/le
gli/le + lo/la/li/le = glielo/gliela/glieli/gliele
(gli + le combinations become one word)
Examples:
• Me lo dai? (Do you give it to me?)
mi (to me) + lo (it) = me lo
• Te la mando. (I send it to you.)
ti (to you) + la (it-fem) = te la
• Glielo dico. (I tell it to him/her.)
gli/le (to him/her) + lo (it) = glielo
• Ce li porta. (He brings them to us.)
ci (to us) + li (them-masc) = ce li
Memory Tricks
🎯 The "Before or Behind" Rule
Conjugated verb? → Pronoun goes BEFORE
Infinitive/Command/Gerund? → Pronoun ATTACHES behind
🔄 Double Pronoun Trick
When combining pronouns: Indirect becomes "me/te/ce/ve/glie" + direct pronoun
Think: "I-before-D" (Indirect before Direct)
✂️ The Infinitive Clip Rule
When attaching to infinitives, clip off the final -e: vedere + lo = veder + lo = vederlo
Practice Exercises
Choose the correct pronoun placement:
1. I see him. (Io vedo lui)
2. I want to see it. (Io voglio vedere quello)
3. Tell me! (Dimmi!)
4. I give it to her. (Io do quello a lei)
5. Don't tell me! (Non dirmi!)
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