mi / ti / gli / le / ci / vi / gli / loro
Indirect Object Pronouns
Indirect Object Pronouns (mi, ti, gli, le, ci, vi, gli/loro) replace people or things that receive an action indirectly. They usually mean 'to me', 'to you', etc.
How It Works
Indirect object pronouns are essential for natural Italian conversation. Here is how they work:
1. The Forms:
- mi: to me
- ti: to you (informal)
- gli: to him / to it
- le: to her / to it
- Le: to you (formal, always capitalized)
- ci: to us
- vi: to you all
- gli (or loro): to them
2. Placement:
Usually, these pronouns go before the conjugated verb (Mi parli). However, they attach to the end of infinitives (parlarmi), gerunds (parlandomi), and informal imperatives (parlami!). For the formal imperative, the pronoun must go before the verb (Mi dica).
3. Negative Commands:
With the negative informal imperative (non + infinitive), you have a choice: place the pronoun before the verb or attach it to the end (Non mi dire or Non dirmi).
4. The 'Loro' Exception:
While gli is standard in speech and common writing, loro is still preferred and expected in formal or academic contexts. Unlike other pronouns, loro always follows the verb and is never attached (Dico loro).
5. Past Participle Agreement:
Unlike direct object pronouns, indirect object pronouns never trigger a change in the ending of the past participle. The ending remains masculine singular (Le ho parlato, not Le ho parlata).
6. Modal Verbs:
With modal verbs, you can place the pronoun before the modal (Mi puoi aiutare?) or attach it to the infinitive (Puoi aiutarmi?).
7. Special Imperatives:
With short commands like fa', va', da', di', sta', the pronoun's first letter doubles: dimmi (tell me), dalle (give to her). The only exception is gli: digli (tell him).
Examples (5)
- Ti ho mandato un messaggio ieri.
I sent (to) you a message yesterday.
Word by Word: To-you I-have sent a message yesterday.
The pronoun 'ti' (to you) comes before the auxiliary verb 'ho'.
- Se vedi Marco, per favore digli la verità.
If you see Marco, please tell (to) him the truth.
Word by Word: If you-see Marco, for favor tell-to-him the truth.
The pronoun 'gli' is attached to the informal imperative 'di'' (tell).
- Non posso venire, ma le scriverò una lettera.
I can't come, but I will write (to) her a letter.
Word by Word: Not I-can come, but to-her I-will-write a letter.
The pronoun 'le' refers to a female ('to her').
- Ci hanno regalato un libro.
They gave (to) us a book as a gift.
Word by Word: To-us they-have gifted a book.
The pronoun 'ci' means 'to us'.
- Le posso parlare, Signora?
May I speak to you, Ma'am?
Word by Word: To-you (formal) I-can speak, Ma'am?
The capitalized 'Le' is used for the formal 'to you'.
Common Mistakes
Confusing direct and indirect pronouns with verbs like 'telefonare'.
Lo telefono ogni giorno.Gli telefono ogni giorno.In Italian, you phone 'to' someone (telefonare a qualcuno), so you must use the indirect pronoun 'gli', not the direct 'lo'.
Attaching pronouns to formal imperatives.
Diami il libro.Mi dia il libro.In formal address (Lei), pronouns must always precede the verb. You cannot attach them like you do with informal commands.
Splitting a modal verb and an infinitive.
Posso ti parlare?Ti posso parlare? / Posso parlarti?The pronoun must either go before the whole verb phrase or attach to the end of the infinitive. It can never sit in the middle.
How It Connects
Learn This First
To learn indirect object pronouns, you first need to understand subject pronouns to identify the agent of the sentence. Familiarity with direct object pronouns is highly beneficial as they share several forms and follow the same placement rules. Finally, a basic grasp of simple prepositions (specifically 'a') is necessary because indirect pronouns replace a 'preposition + noun' structure.
- mi / ti / lo / la / ci / vi / li / leDirect Object Pronouns
Direct object pronouns introduce the concept of clitic placement and shared forms (mi, ti, ci, vi), making it easier to learn the specific indirect forms (gli, le).
Level 1 - Simple Prepositions
Indirect objects are conceptually linked to the preposition 'a' (to/for), so understanding basic prepositions helps clarify the function of indirect pronouns.
Level 1
Related Patterns
- mi piace / mi piaccionoThe Verb 'Piacere' (To Like)
The verb 'piacere' (to like) exclusively uses indirect object pronouns (e.g., 'mi piace' literally means 'it is pleasing to me').
Level 1 - potere / dovere / volereModal Verbs (Potere, Dovere, Volere)
Modal verbs allow for two different placements of indirect pronouns.
Level 1 - Clitic Pronoun Placement with the Imperative
This pattern explains the specific rules for attaching indirect pronouns to commands.
Level 3 - Combined Object Pronouns (Introductory)
Once you know indirect pronouns, you can learn how to combine them with direct pronouns (e.g., 'me lo dai').
Level 2
Learn Next
Patterns that build on this one.
Words in This Pattern
Sources
Practice mi / ti / gli / le / ci / vi / gli / loro in Bubblegum
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