Basic Italian: A Grammar and Workbook

UNIT SEVEN

Direct object pronouns (1)

1 A direct object is the person or thing that the verb directly impacts on:
Invito Elena (I’m inviting Elena); Uso il computer tutti i giorni (I use the
computer every day).
A direct object pronoun replaces a noun used as a direct object; it
must therefore agree in gender and number with the noun it refers to. Direct
object pronouns normally come before the verb. In the following examples,
the pronouns are in italics:

2 The forms of the direct object pronouns are as follows:

Quando vedo Elena la invito a cena.

[la replaces and agrees with Elena (fs)]

Quando vedo Lorenzo lo invito a cena.

[lo replaces and agrees with Lorenzo

(ms)]

Scrivo le cartoline e poi le imbuco.

[le replaces and agrees with le

cartoline (fp)]

Appena compro i biscotti li mangio.

[li replaces and agrees with i biscotti

(mp)]

Prendo il giornale e lo leggo subito.

[lo replaces and agrees with il

giornale (ms)]

When I see Elena I’ll invite

her to dinner.

When I see Lorenzo I’ll invite

him to dinner.

I write the postcards and

then post them.

As soon as I buy biscuits I

eat them.

I get the paper and read it

immediately.

Subject

io

tu

lui/lei

noi

voi

loro

Direct object

mi

ti

lo [m]/la [f]

ci

vi

li [m]/le [f]

me

you

him/her/it

us

you

them