Pronomi oggetto indiretto
Like all other object pronouns, pronomi oggetto indiretto (indirect object pronouns) replace the object of the action of the verb.
The indirect object is only the person(s) (or animals or animated objects) that receive the action of the verb INDIRECTLY, through the preposition A or PER. For this reason, they answer to the question: “to whom?”.
Marco telefona a Cristina. → “Marco” = subject = the person doing the action → “telefona” = verb = the action been done by Marco → “a Cristina” = indirect object = (to) whom Marco calls.
| singolare | plurale |
|---|---|
| mi to me | ci to us |
| ti to you (informal) | vi to you |
| gli to him | gli to them (m.) *loro (to them, m./f.) |
| le to her | gli to them (f.) *loro (to them, m./f. |
Key Points
- Indirect object pronouns may look very similar to the direct object pronouns, but they are very different in meaning.
- Note especially that the third person singular and plural is different.
- Indirect object pronouns substitute ONLY A or PER + person
- They ALWAYS IMMEDIATELY PRECEDE a conjugated verb. They go after the subject and the “non,” if present.
Dai un regalo a Carlo? → “a Carlo ” = I. O. to be substituted (=GLI)
Sì, gli do un regalo.
No, non gli do un regalo.
*Note: LORO (used more rarely than GLI) follows the verb:
Parlo loro spesso.
Gli parlo spesso.
- There is NO agreement with PASSATO PROSSIMO, and there is NO elision of the singular forms.
Gli ho dato un regalo.
Non le ho dato un regalo.
- With a verb in the infinitive, the pronoun follows the verb and is attached to it. The infinitive drops the final e.
– Hai intenzione di parlare alla Prof? (Do you intend to talk to the Prof?)
– Sì, ho intenzione di parlarle.
– No, non ho intenzione di parlarle.
NOTE: with dovere, potere, volere + infinitive, the pronoun has two possible positions: attached to the infinitive or before the conjugated form of dovere, potere, volere:
Voglio parlarle.
Le voglio parlare.
- Keep in mind: some verbs that in English have direct objects for the person to whom the action is directed, like “to call,” in Italian have an INDIRECT OBJECT for that person (A + person). Here are the most common of these verbs:
chiedere to ask A + person (O.I.)
dare to give A + person (O.I.)
dire to tell A + person (O.I.)
domandare to ask A + person (O.I.)
insegnare to teach A + person (O.I.)
mandare to send A + person (O.I.)
mostrare to show A + person (O.I.)
offrire to offer A + person (O.I.)
portare to bring A + person (O.I.)
prestare to lend/loan A + person (O.I.)
raccontare to tell A + person (O.I.)
regalare to give A + person (O.I.)
scrivere to write A + person (O.I.)
rispondere to answer A + person (O.I.)
telefonare to call A + person (O.I.)
- Telefoni spesso a tua sorella? Do you call your sister often? - Le telefono ogni giorno. I call her every day. - Hai chiesto aiuto ai tuoi genitori? Did you ask your parents for help? - Sì, gli ho chiesto soldi. Yes, I asked them for money. - Cosa hai detto alla Prof? What did you tell the Prof? - Le ho detto la verità. I told her the truth.
Tip: check in your dictionary to see if a verb needs a direct or an indirect object. For instance, if you look up the verb “to give” and find the example “to give somebody something” translated as “dare qualcosa a qualcuno,” the a in the translation shows you that you use an indirect pronoun for the person to whom you give something.
