Demystifying Indirect Object Pronouns in Italian

If you’ve been studying Italian for a while, you’ve probably reached a point where the sentences start getting more complex and the pronouns start multiplying. Indirect object pronouns in Italian are among the most frequently used pronouns because they help you make your sentences less repetitive and more natural-sounding. 

They behave differently from their English counterparts, but don’t worry: Once you understand the pattern, using them will start to feel almost automatic. 

Table of Contents

• What are the indirect object pronouns in Italian?
• When do you use Italian indirect object pronouns?
• Where do indirect object pronouns go in Italian sentences?
• Italian verbs that commonly take an indirect object
• Common mistakes to avoid with indirect object pronouns in Italian
• Key takeaways about indirect object pronouns in Italian

What are the indirect object pronouns in Italian?

Italian indirect object pronouns replace the person or thing that receives the action of the verb indirectly (complemento di termine = indirect object) and usually answer the question “to whom?” or “for whom?” They are commonly used with Italian verbs that take the preposition a (to). 

Traditionally, Italian grammar divides this type of pronoun into two forms:

• Unstressed pronouns, called atoni, are used in everyday speech and writing.
• Stressed forms, called tonici, are used for emphasis, contrast, or clarification.

Unstressed Indirect Object Pronoun	Stressed Indirect Object Pronoun	English meaning
mi	a me	to me
ti	a te	to you
gli	a lui	to him
le	a lei	to her
Le	a Lei	to you (formal)
ci	a noi	to us
vi	a voi	to you all
gli/loro	a loro	to them

Two important things to notice:

• The pronoun le can mean either “to her” or “to you (formal).” In writing, it is capitalized when used as the formal “you” to avoid ambiguity.
• The pronouns gli and loro both mean “to them.” In modern Italian, gli is by far the most common option, especially in spoken language. Loro is mostly found in formal contexts, particularly in writing.

Direct vs. indirect object pronouns

Before learning when to use indirect object pronouns, it helps to understand how they differ from direct object pronouns.

A direct object receives the action of the verb directly. It’s not introduced by a preposition and usually answers the question “who?” or “what?” It can be replaced by a direct object pronoun such as mi, ti, lo, la, ci, vi, li, and le.

• Ho chiamato i proprietari questa mattina. = I called the owners this morning.
• Li ho chiamati questa mattina. = I called them this morning.

An indirect object receives the action indirectly, usually through the preposition a (to). It can be replaced by the indirect object pronoun:

• Ho dato le chiavi ai proprietari. = I gave the keys to the owners.
• Gli ho dato le chiavi. = I gave them the keys.

The distinction isn’t always obvious in English, since direct and indirect object pronouns look identical. In Italian, however, several forms are different, which is why indirect object pronouns are treated as a separate group within the broader system of Italian pronouns.

When do you use Italian indirect object pronouns?

In practical terms, you use Italian indirect object pronouns whenever a verb involves an action “to someone” or “for someone,” and you want to avoid repeating the name of that person or thing.

Using unstressed indirect object pronouns

The unstressed form of indirect object pronouns is the most common option in Italian and, in many cases, it’s also the natural way to build a sentence. The Italian language strongly prefers the indirect object pronoun over repeating the same noun or pronoun within a sentence.

• Lei non sa che lui ha portato dei fiori a lei. → Lei non sa che lui le ha portato dei fiori. = She doesn’t know that he brought her flowers.

The same principle applies when answering questions:

• Hai risposto all’email del tuo capo? = Did you reply to your boss’s email?
  • Sì, ho risposto al mio capo questa mattina. → Sì, gli ho risposto questa mattina. = Yes, I replied to him this morning.

Using stressed indirect object pronouns

In some cases, both unstressed and stressed pronouns are suitable. The difference is emphasis. Compare the following sentences and notice how the second one places extra emphasis on the speaker.

• Mi piace il pollo fritto. = I like fried chicken.
• A me piace il pollo fritto. = I like fried chicken.

It’s important to remember that unstressed indirect object pronouns only replace objects introduced by the preposition a (to) and, in some cases, per (for). With other prepositions, you must use the stressed pronouns me, te, lui/lei, noi, voi, and loro.

• Vuoi ballare con me? = Will you dance with me?
• Mi ha parlato di Lei. Piacere, Alessandro. = He has talked about you. Nice to meet you, Alessandro.

Where do indirect object pronouns go in Italian sentences?

The placement rule in Italian is one of the first things you’ll want to nail down, because Italian and English differ on this topic. In Italian, indirect object pronouns (mi, ti, gli/le, etc) can appear in two positions, depending on the verb form.

Indirect object pronouns before the verb

The most common placement of indirect object pronouns in Italian is before the verb. This happens with:

• Conjugated verbs in the indicative, subjunctive, and conditional moods.
  • Ti chiamo più tardi. = I’ll call you later. 
  • Se mi avesse chiamato prima, sarei andato. = If he had called me earlier, I would have gone. 
  • Gli telefonerei se avessi tempo. = I would call him if I had time. 
• The construction fare + infinitive, with the pronoun appearing before fare.
  • Che cosa ci farà vedere oggi? = What are you going to show us today? 201176286 
• Expressions with va and vanno (from the verb andare) when used to mean “would you like” or “do you feel like.”
  • Ti va un caffè? = Would you like some coffee?
  • Ti vanno degli spaghetti? = Would you like some spaghetti? 

Indirect object pronouns after the verb

The indirect object pronoun is attached to the end of the verb in the following cases:

• Infinitives (the basic form of a verb)
  • Penso di portargli la cena a casa. = I think I’ll bring him dinner at home.
• Imperatives
  • Chiamami appena arrivi. = Call me as soon as you arrive.
• Gerunds
  • Parlandogli, ho capito meglio il problema. = By talking to him, I understood the problem better.

Exceptions: Modal verbs + infinitive

With the Italian modal verbs volere (to want), sapere (to know how to), potere (to be able to), and dovere (to have to) followed by an infinitive, the indirect object pronoun can appear in two positions: 

• Before the modal verb
• Attached to the infinitive

Both options are correct:

• Ti posso chiedere un favore?/Posso chiederti un favore? = Can I ask you a favor?
• Scusa, mi sai dire che ora è?/Scusa, sai dirmi che ora è? = Excuse me, can you tell me what time it is?

The special placement of the plural pronouns gli/loro/a loro

The plural “to them” forms each follow their own placement rule:

• Gli is always placed before the verb.
  • Gli ho inviato un’email stamattina. = I sent them an email this morning.
• Loro is always placed after the verb.
  • Ho inviato loro un’email stamattina. = I sent them an email this morning.
• A loro is either placed before or after the verb.
  • A loro ho inviato un’email stamattina. = I sent them an email this morning.
  • Stamattina ho inviato a loro un’email. = I sent an email to them this morning.

Italian verbs that commonly take an indirect object

While indirect pronouns can be used with many Italian verbs, the following ones are among the most common and are worth memorizing. They range from everyday “giving and telling” verbs (which transfer information, an object, or a feeling to someone) to verbs expressing feelings and states. 

Italian	English
appartenere	to belong to
assomigliare	to resemble/to look like
bastare	to be enough
convenire	to be convenient
credere	to believe (someone)
dispiacere	to be sorry/to mind
interessare	to interest
mancare	to be missing/to be missed
obbedire	to obey
piacere	to like/to be pleasing to
rispondere	to respond
sembrare	to seem
servire	to be useful to/to be used for
telefonare	to call (on the phone)

How do verbs like piacere work with indirect object pronouns?

Several verbs in the list, like piacere, mancare, bastare, sembrare, and dispiacere, don’t behave the way their translations suggest. That’s because in Italian, these verbs work in reverse compared to English: The thing or person you’re describing is the grammatical subject, and the person experiencing it is the indirect object.

Piacere is the clearest example. It translates as “to like,” but it literally means “to be pleasing to” in Italian, so the sentence is kind of flipped:

• English: I like Italian food. (“I” = subject)
• Italian: Mi piace la cucina italiana. = lit. Italian food is pleasing to me. (mi = indirect object pronoun “to me”; la cucina italiana = subject) 

Other examples are:

• Non mi basta il tempo. = I don’t have enough time.
• Le è piaciuto il film? = Did she like the movie?/Did you like the movie? (formal “you”)
• Mi manca tanto. = I miss him/her so much.

Common mistakes to avoid with indirect object pronouns in Italian

Even advanced Italian speakers slip up on these, so it’s worth watching out for these patterns from the very beginning.

• Forgetting the preposition a (to) when identifying an indirect object.
  • Wrong: Ho dato il libro Luca.
  • Correct: Ho dato il libro a Luca. = I gave the book to Luca.
• Combining unstressed and stressed pronouns in the same sentence. This one trips up many native speakers, too.
  • Wrong: A me mi piace la pizza.
  • Correct: A me piace la pizza./Mi piace la pizza. = I like pizza.
• Using a direct object pronoun instead of an indirect one. Since English uses the same forms for both (“him”, “her”, “them”), it’s easy to grab the wrong one in Italian.
  • Wrong: Lo ho telefonato. 
  • Correct: Gli ho telefonato. = I called him.
• Using gli instead of le. In fast, informal speech you might hear native speakers do this, but it’s still considered incorrect. Remember: gli and le are not interchangeable.
  • Wrong: Gli manca l’Italia. (when referring to a woman)
  • Correct: Le manca l’Italia. = She misses Italy.
• Using ci instead of gli/le. This is a regional mistake common in some parts of Italy, but incorrect in standard Italian.
  • Wrong: Ci ho dato una mano.
  • Correct: Gli ho dato una mano./Le ho dato una mano. = I gave him/her a hand.
• Putting the pronoun after a conjugated verb in Italian like you do in English. Remember that in Italian it’s the opposite.
  • Wrong: Ho gli dato un regalo. 
  • Correct: Gli ho dato un regalo. = I gave him/them a gift.

Key takeaways about indirect object pronouns in Italian

Here’s a quick recap of the most important rules to remember:

• Indirect object pronouns usually answer the question “to whom?” or “for whom.”
• They replace nouns introduced by the preposition a (to) and help make your Italian sound more natural.
• The most common forms of indirect object pronouns are mi, ti, gli (s/pl), le, ci, vi.
• In most cases, these pronouns are placed before the verb. 
• Verbs like piacere, mancare, and bastare commonly use indirect object pronouns.

Pairing your studies with personalized Rosetta Stone tutoring sessions can help you tackle challenging topics like indirect pronouns and other important aspects of Italian grammar. It’s also a great way to discover how to learn Italian through regular speaking practice and immediate feedback from language experts.

Learn Italian Today!