Pronomi soggetto
The Italian SUBJECT PRONOUNS are:
| singolare | plurale |
|---|---|
| io I | noi we |
| tu (you informal) | voi you |
| Lei (you formal)* | |
| lui he | loro they |
| lei she |
Key Points
- *Lei is used as a polite word for you. You will sometimes see it with a capital letter when used in this way.
-
- Tip: use tu for people you know well; Lei for people you don’t know.
- Note that the pronouns egli (he), ella (she), esso (it, m.), essa (it, f.), essi (they, m.), and esse (they, f.) are used in literary and formal written Italian, so you may come across them. However, they are not generally used in speaking.
- Unlike English, subject pronouns are normally omitted in Italian. The verb ending usually makes it clear who the subject is, so generally no pronoun is necessary.
– Dove trascorri le ferie? – Where are you spending your vacation? – Trascorro le ferie in montagna. – I am spending my vacation in the mountains. – Cosa fate quest’estate? – What are you (pl.) doing this summer? – Prendiamo in affitto una casa. – We are renting a house.
- You do not use a subject pronoun in Italian to translate it at the beginning of a sentence.
È alta stagione. It’s high season. Fa caldo. It’s hot. Guarda! È lui!* Look! It’s him!
* Tip: to say “it’s me,” for instance when knocking on someone’s door, and to say who someone is, you use the subject pronoun: Chi è? – Sono io (Who’s that? – It’s me).
- Subject pronouns are used for emphasis, particularly with words such as:
anche, pure, perfino = also, too, even
neanche, nemmeno, neppure = not even, neither, not…either
solo, solamente, soltanto = only
Vanno anche loro. They are going, too. Solo lei può farlo. She is the only one who can/is allowed to do it. Neanche io posso farlo. I can’t/am not allowed to do it either.
- They are used after a verb, to emphasize the subject;
Paga lui. He is going to pay. Lo vogliono loro. They are the ones who want it. Sei tu che lo dici. You are the one who says it.
- They are used to contrast a subject with another subject.
Lei vuole viaggiare all’estero; lui no. She wants to travel abroad; he doesn’t. Lui vuole vivere in campagna, ma io voglio vivere in città. He wants to live in the country, but I want to live in town.
