Pronomi oggetto tonici

Pronomi oggetto

In Italian there are a lot of personal pronouns. You already know the subject pronouns, which we use to conjugate verbs: IO, TU, LUI, LEI, NOI, VOI, LORO, and the formal you, LEI, and plural formal you, LORO. However, as you know, the subject pronouns are not often used in Italian because the verb already implies who the subject is.

Much more used in Italian are instead the PRONOMI OGGETTO (object pronouns).

• These pronouns stand in place of the OBJECT of the ACTION of the verb.

• The object of an action can be a person, an animal or a thing, or another action (usually expressed with an infinitive or with full sentences, like in Congiuntivo).

Marco mangia la mela.
→ “Marco” = subject = the person doing the action
→ “mangia” = verb = the action been done by Marco
→“la mela” = object = the thing receiving the action of the verb (what Marco eats).

Marco incontra Cristina.
→ “Marco” = subject = the person doing the action
→ “incontra” = verb = the action been done by Marco
→ “Cristina” = object = the person receiving the action of the verb (whom Marco meets).


Marco pensa che Cristina sia bella.
→ “Marco” = subject = the person doing the action
→ “pensa” = verb = the action been done by Marco
→ “che Cristina sia bella” = object = receives the action of the verb (what Marco thinks).

• Every type of object can be substituted by an OBJECT PRONOUN, particularly to avoid repetitions and make the communication more effective.

• There are many types of PRONOMI OGGETTO, according to the type of object they substitute.

Pronomi tonici

PRONOMI TONICI means stressed pronouns. The following STRESSED PRONOUNS (unlike direct object, indirect object, and reflexive pronouns) are used after a preposition or verb, often for greater emphasis:

Key points

1. Stressed pronouns are most frequently used after a preposition:

Questo regalo è per voi.
This present is for you.

Vuoi uscire con noi?
Do you want to go out with us?

Pensano solo a sé.
They only think about themselves.

Tocca a te.
It’s your turn.

A me piace questa musica.*
I like this music.

Andiamo da lei.**
We’re going to her place.                                  

Lo faccio da me.**
I am doing it by myself.

Posso contare su di te?***
Can I count on you?

* NOTE: “A me piace questa musica” is a more emphatic way of saying “Mi piace questa musica” and may imply  a contrast (“I like this music” whereas someone else doesn’t like it).

**da + stressed pronoun may have two meanings:

• • a casa di (at/to someone’s home);
  • da solo/sola/soli/sole (without help/alone)

*** su and many other prepositions, such as the following, add di before a stressed pronoun:

contro  (contro)            Sono contro di me  (They are against me)

dietro    (behind)          Siamo dietro di te  (We are behind you)

dopo     (after)               Parlo dopo di lei  (I speak after her)

fra (tra) (between)       C’è amore fra di voi  (There is love between you)

fuori      (outside)         È  fuori di sé dalla gioia  (She is beside herself/himself with joy)

senza    (without)        Parte senza di lui  (She leaves without him)

sotto    (below)             Viviamo sotto di loro  (We live below them)

verso    (to/toward)     Siete cattivi verso di noi (You are mean toward us)

2. Stressed pronouns are used after a verb for the following purposes:

• to give the direct object or indirect object greater emphasis, particularly with words such as the following:

Conosco lei. 
I know her.
(emphasis on her, vs. la conosco, no emphasis)

Conosco anche lui.
I know him, too.

• when there are multiple objects in the same sentence:

Hanno invitato noi e loro.
The invited us and them.

Ho visto lei ma non lui.
I saw her but not him.

• in comparisons:

Laura è più giovane di me.
Laura is younger than me.

Sono meno paziente di lei.
I am less patient than her.

È alta quanto te.
She is as tall as you.

3. The reflexive pronoun sé is invariable (equivalent to himself, herself, themselves, and oneself) and can refer to both people and things. For extra emphasis, the word stesso (which is variable in gender and number) is added to the stressed pronoun.

Parlano solo di sé.
They only talk about themselves.

Parla con se stessa.*
She talks to herself.

Pensa solo a se stesso.*
He thinks only of himself.