Italian Language Lessons
Grammar, spelling, and usage
Italian Subject Pronouns
Workbook Exercises About This Topic
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I, you, he, she, we, they. These are what grammarians call the subject pronouns—they stand in for the subject: "she" instead of "Teresa," or "they" instead of "the children." Observe the following examples in Italian:
Noi non facciamo così! (We don't do it like that.)
Domani io farò un esame. (Tomorrow I'm taking an exam.)
Voi studiate per l'esame? (Are you studying for the exam?)
Domani vieni a lezione tu? (Are you coming to class tomorrow?)
Oftentimes, the subject pronouns are implied in Italian since the form of the verb already indicates the number, gender, and case of the subject. The same sentences in the previous list have the same meaning even with the subject pronouns omitted. To review the subject pronouns, see the table below.
| ITALIAN SUBJECT PRONOUNS |
|---|
| PERSON | SINGULAR | PLURAL |
|---|
| I | io (I) | noi (we) |
| II | tu (you, informal) | voi (you) |
| III | lui, lei (he, she) | loro (they) |
| Lui (you, formal) | Loro (you, formal) |
There are a few cases in which subject pronouns are required in Italian.
For contrast: Noi lavoriamo e tu ti diverti. (We work and you play (have fun).)
For emphasis: Lo pago io. (I'll pay for it.)
After the words almeno, anche, magari, neanche, nemmeno, neppure: Neanche noi andiamo al cinema. (We aren't going to the cinema either.)
When the subject pronoun stands by itself: Chi vuole giocare? Io! (Who wants to play? I do!)
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