Using Italian Personal Pronouns

• The tonic forms (toniche) of Italian personal pronouns serve as complements, usually follow the verb and are generally preceded by prepositions:

La nonna disse a me di non uscire.
Grandmother told me not to leave.

• The unstressed (atone) forms of Italian personal pronouns (which can never be accompanied by prepositions) are used as follows:

» lo, la, li, and le act as the direct object

Mi piace questo abito, lo compro!
I like this dress, I am buying it!

Non la voglio vedere!
I do not want to see it!

Ho bisogno dei tuoi sci, te li restituirò a fine mese.
I need your skis, I will return them to you at the end of the month.

Le tue scuse non le voglio.
I do not want your apologies.

NOTE: lo can refer to a thing with the same meaning as ciò:

Lo (ciò) diedi a lui.
I gave that to him.

» gli and le serve as the direct complement

Le (a lei) vorrei dare un consiglio.
I would like to give her advice.

Gli (a lui) donai tutti i miei averi.
I gave him all my possessions.

NOTE: gli replaces a loro, but only in colloquial speech.

Mi telefonarono, ma gli dissi di non venire.
They called me, but I told them not to come.

» mi, ti, si, ci, vi, and si replace both the direct object and the direct complement

La mamma ci [complemento oggetto] bacia spesso.
Our mother kisses us often.

Ci [complemento di termine] diede vitto e alloggio.
He gave us food and shelter.

» mi, ti, si, ci, vi, and si are also called reflexive pronouns (pronomi riflessivi) when they reflect the action expressed by the verb back to the subject who performs it

Io mi lavo.
I wash myself.

Noi ci pettiniamo.
We comb our hair.

Il pugile si difende.
The boxer defends himself.

NOTE: The tonic form of se is sé and is often reinforced by the pronoun stesso; in which case the diacritical mark is often eliminated.

Pensò tra sé di essere nel giusto.
He thought himself right.

Crede molto in sé (se) stesso.
He really believes in himself.

» ne replaces complementi di specificazione (prepositional phrases of specification) and complementi di separazione (prepositional phrases of separation).

Ce ne (di lui/di loro/di ciò) parlò l'anno scorso.
We spoke with him last year / We spoke with them last year / We spoke about it last year.

Ne (di essi) ho ricevuti diversi.
I have received many of them.

Se ne (da lui/lei/loro/esso/essa) separò volentieri.
He readily separated (from him/her/them/it).

NOTE: ci, vi, and ne are also particelle avverbiali (adverbial participles).

Non ci (lì/là/qui/qua) sono.
There are none (there/here).

Vi (lì/là/qui/qua) andremo domani.
We are going (there/here) tomorrow.

Ce ne (lì/là/qui/qua) andammo subito.
We left immediately.

• When particelle pronominali are followed by another personal pronoun the vowel i changes to the vowel e:

Me lo disse = Mi disse ciò.
He told me it.

Ve la spedii = Vi spedii essa (la lettera).
I sent you the letter.

• When gli followed by another personal pronoun the letter e is appended and it is combined with esso to form the terms glielo, gliela, glieli, gliele, gliene; in this case gli applies to both genders:

Glielo regalai. = A lui/lei (gli) regalai ciò (lo).
I gave it to him.

Gliela mandai. = A lui/lei (gli) mandai lei (la).
I sent it to him.

Gliene parlai. = A lui/lei (gli) parlai di ciò (ne).
I told him it.

Forms of Courtesy
In Italian, when addressing a person of high regard, use the polite form, which is expressed by the personal pronouns Lei, Ella, Loro, Voi, and Noi. The initial letter is capitalized; nowadays, however, there is a tendency to use all lowercase.

• Lei is used both for the masculine and the feminine singular:

Lei, signor Antonioni, è veramente cortese.
Mr. Antonioni, you are really gracious.

Lei, signora Milani, è stata certamente informata per tempo.
Miss Milani, you were certainly informed in time.

• Ella refers to people of great importance for both sexes:

Sua Eccellenza, Ella è attesa dal presidente.
His Excellency, you are expected by the President.

• Loro (which is invariable), is used when referring to two or more people:

Come Loro già sapranno, la seduta è stata rinviata.
As you already knew, the session was postponed.

• La, Le, and Li are unstressed personal object pronoun forms of courtesy:

La (lei) pregherei di rispondere al più presto.
Would you please respond as soon as possible.

Signora Rossi, come Le (a lei) ho già detto, può contare su di me.
Miss Smith, as I have already said, you can count on me.

• Voi, with the corresponding unstressed form Vi, is used almost exclusively in business correspondence:

Come Voi già saprete, la richiesta risulta inevasa.
As you already know, the request is unanswered.

Vi comunico con la presente il ricevimento della fattura…
I inform you with this receipt of this invoice ...

• Noi is used as a plural form of courtesy, rather than io, in an understatement:

Noi pensiamo che ciò sia giusto.
We think this is right.

The adjective agrees in gender and number with the subject to which it refers:

Lei è spiritoso, signor Belli.
Mr. Belli, you are witty.

Lei è troppo modesta, signora.
You are too modest, madam.

Loro sono veramente premurosi, signori.
Gentlemen, you are very considerate,.

Adjectives, much like possessive pronouns, when used in the polite form usually require a capital letter:

Sua Eccellenza, mi consenta di ricordarLe che la seduta inizierà alla 10.
His Excellency, let me remind you that the session will begin at 10.

Apprezzo la Sua premura, ma non posso proprio accettare.
I appreciate your concern, but I just cannot accept.

In risposta alla Vostra (Vs) lettera vi confermo la spedizione della merce.
In response to your letter I can confirm the shipment of goods.