Direct object pronouns

Mind, pronouns are little words that replace persons or things. The direct object pronouns replace the object (the thing or person) and take the place of the noun. The direct object pronoun receives the action of the verb directly: there is no preposition after the verb!

For example, after the verb “To invite” we don’t have the preposition “to” > I invited her. “Her” is the “direct object pronoun“, but the verb “to talk” need the preposition “to” before the pronoun > I will talk to him:  “to him” in Italian is an indirect object pronoun!

Generally the object pronouns are before the verb, but they are after the verb in the infinitive or in the imperative mood. Before a vowel, singular pronouns use an apostrophe.

 

Pronomi oggetto diretto	Direct object pronouns
Mi	Me
Ti	You
Lo	Him/It (masculine – sing.)
La	Her/It (feminine – sing.)
Ci	Us
Vi	You
Li	Them (masculine – pl.)
Le	Them (feminine – pl.)

Some examples in present tense (pronouns are before the verb):

Prendo il coltello = I take the knife	becomes	Lo prendo = I take it
Mangio una mela = I eat an apple		La mangio = I eat it
Incontro Marco = I meet Marco		L'(=lo) incontro = I meet him
Incontro Maria = I meet Maria		L'(=la) incontro = I meet her
Taglio I pomodori = I cut the tomatoes		Li taglio = I cut them
Affetto le melanzane = I slice the eggplants		Le affetto = I slice them

 

 

 

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