In earlier lessons, we looked at how to use direct object pronouns like me, you, him, her. However, when referring to a person introduced by the preposition a ("to"), you cannot use those direct pronouns. Instead, you need a different set: the indirect object pronouns.
| Italian | English |
|---|---|
| mi | to me |
| ti | to you |
| gli | to him |
| le | to her |
| ci | to us |
| vi | to you (plural) |
| gli | to them |
Do un regalo a Luca.
I give a gift to Luca.
Gli do un regalo.
I give him a gift.
Lo studente ha fatto una domanda al professore.
The student asked the professor a question.
Lo studente gli ha fatto una domanda.
The student asked him a question.
Daniela ha parlato a Gianni.
Daniela spoke to Gianni.
Daniela gli ha parlato.
Daniela spoke to him.
La mamma gli ha parlato.
Mom spoke to him.
Non le piace il cibo piccante?
Don’t you like spicy food?
Le posso domandare una cosa?
May I ask you something?
To make a sentence negative, simply place non before the pronoun and the verb. The pronoun still stays close to the verb even in negative sentences.
Non gli do un regalo.
I’m not giving him a gift.
Non gli ho scritto un messaggio.
I haven’t written him a message.
When using infinitive verbs or giving commands, indirect pronouns often attach to the end of the verb, or in some cases, they can go before the verb. Both structures are correct depending on context and tone.
Non voglio scrivergli.
I don’t want to write to him.
Devo parlarti di una cosa.
I need to talk to you about something.
Puoi portarmi un bicchiere d’acqua?
Can you bring me a glass of water?
Non gli voglio scrivere.
I don’t want to write to him.
Ti devo parlare di una cosa.
I have to talk to you about something.
Mi puoi portare un bicchiere d’acqua?
Can you bring me a glass of water?
Sometimes we want to emphasize the person we're referring to. In those cases, we use stressed pronouns like a me, a te, etc., often adding more emotional or contrastive weight to the sentence.
Non mi piace questa canzone.
I don’t like this song.
A me non piace questa canzone.
I don’t like this song. (emphasized)
Ho scritto una lettera a loro.
I wrote a letter to them.
Gli ho scritto una lettera.
I wrote them a letter.
Italian can combine indirect and direct object pronouns into a single unit. This is called a “double pronoun” structure, and it's very common in spoken and written Italian.
Glielo ho dato.
I gave it to him/her.
Questa collana me l’ha regalata il mio fidanzato.
My boyfriend gave me this necklace.
Chi te lo ha raccontato?
Who told you that?
Non ve lo posso dire, è un segreto.
I can’t tell you, it’s a secret.
Vuole che glielo incarti?
Do you want me to wrap it for him?
No, non gliel’ho ancora dato.
No, I haven’t given it to him yet.
Sì, gliel’ho detto stamattina.
Yes, I told him this morning.
Double pronouns usually go before the verb, but with infinitives and commands, they often attach to the end. Pay attention to how the order changes depending on the verb form!
Non vuole comprarmeli.
He/she doesn’t want to buy them for me.
Diego ha prestato un libro a Damiano ma lui non vuole ridarglielo.
Diego lent Damiano a book, but he doesn’t want to give it back to him.
Abbiamo organizzato una festa per Sara, ma non dirglielo – è una sorpresa.
We organized a party for Sara, but don’t tell her – it’s a surprise.
Vedi quella scatola lì? Portamela, per favore.
Do you see that box there? Bring it to me, please.
