egli / ella / esso / essa
Archaic Personal Pronouns (Egli/ella/esso/essa)
In modern Italian, we use lui, lei, and loro as subjects. However, in formal writing or literature, you will encounter egli (he), ella (she), esso (it/he-animal), and essa (it/she-animal).
How It Works
While contemporary Italian has largely replaced these forms with the former object pronouns (lui/lei/loro), they remain essential for understanding formal registers.
- Egli / Ella: Used exclusively for human beings. Egli is purely anaphoric, meaning it is used to refer back to a person already named in the text.
- Esso / Essa: Traditionally used for animals and inanimate objects. In modern formal writing, essa (and the plurals essi/esse) is sometimes used for people to avoid repeating a name, but esso is almost never used for humans.
- Ella as 'You': Ella survives in extremely formal correspondence as a highly respectful version of the polite Lei (e.g., 'Ella comprenderà...' - 'You [Sir/Madam] will understand...').
Syntactic Constraints:
These pronouns are 'tonic' (independent) but restricted. You cannot say 'vengo con egli' (I'm coming with him); you must use lui after prepositions. Similarly, they cannot be used for emphasis in the same way as lui (e.g., 'È stato lui!' is correct, while 'È stato egli!' sounds unnatural even in formal contexts).
Examples (5)
- Dante nacque a Firenze; egli è il padre della lingua italiana.
Dante was born in Florence; he is the father of the Italian language.
Word by Word: Dante was born in Florence; he is the father of the language Italian.
Here 'egli' is used in a biographical/historical context to refer back to Dante.
- Abbiamo esaminato la legge; essa entrerà in vigore domani.
We examined the law; it will come into force tomorrow.
Word by Word: We have examined the law; it will enter in force tomorrow.
'Essa' refers to 'la legge' (the law), a feminine inanimate object.
- Ella si va, sentendosi laudare.
She goes her way, hearing herself praised.
Word by Word: She herself goes, feeling herself to praise.
A famous poetic example from Dante's 'Vita Nuova' using 'ella' as the subject.
- Il cane era stanco; esso dormiva sotto il tavolo.
The dog was tired; it was sleeping under the table.
Word by Word: The dog was tired; it was sleeping under the table.
'Esso' is used here to refer to an animal (il cane).
- Ella vorrà scusarmi, Signor Direttore.
You will surely excuse me, Mr. Director.
Word by Word: You will want to excuse me, Mr. Director.
In this ultra-formal context, 'Ella' is used as a highly respectful form of 'You'.
Common Mistakes
Using 'egli' or 'essa' after a preposition.
Esco con egli.Esco con lui.Archaic subject pronouns cannot follow prepositions like 'con', 'per', or 'da'. You must use the standard pronouns 'lui' or 'lei' in these cases.
Using 'egli' in casual conversation.
Egli è il mio amico.Lui è il mio amico.Using 'egli' in speech makes you sound like a 19th-century book. It is strictly reserved for formal writing.
Using 'egli' as a direct object.
Vedo egli.Lo vedo.These pronouns are nominative only. For objects, you must use direct object pronouns.
How It Connects
Learn This First
To understand these archaic and formal pronouns, a learner must first be familiar with the standard Italian subject pronoun system. Additionally, since these forms are primarily used in high-register writing or literature, an understanding of formal vs. informal registers and basic gender agreement is necessary to correctly identify their function and usage.
- Subject Pronouns
Understanding the standard modern subject pronouns (io, tu, lui, lei, etc.) is essential to recognize these archaic forms as their formal or literary equivalents.
Level 1 - Lei / tuFormal vs. Informal Register (Lei vs. Tu)
Knowledge of register is necessary to understand why these pronouns are used in formal, bureaucratic, or literary contexts compared to standard speech.
Level 3
Related Patterns
- voi (singolare di cortesia)Historical Polite 'Voi' (Pre-Lei Address)
Another historical way of addressing people formally, often found in the same literary contexts as 'egli' and 'ella'.
Level 6 - Passato Remoto in Literary Narration (Register)
The tense most commonly paired with these archaic pronouns in literature and history.
Level 6 - il quale / la qualeRelative Pronoun 'Il Quale/la Quale'
Another formal way to refer back to subjects, often used alongside 'essa' to avoid repetition in complex sentences.
Level 3
Words in This Pattern
Sources
Practice egli / ella / esso / essa in Bubblegum
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