Direct Object Pronouns

Direct object pronouns (pronomi diretti) replace the noun that receives the action of a verb directly. In English we say "I see him" rather than "I see Marco" — Italian works the same way, but the pronoun usually goes before the verb.

The Direct Object Pronouns

Person	Italian	English Equivalent
1st singular	mi	me
2nd singular	ti	you (informal)
3rd singular masc.	lo	him / it
3rd singular fem.	la	her / it
3rd singular formal	La	you (formal)
1st plural	ci	us
2nd plural	vi	you (plural)
3rd plural masc.	li	them (masc.)
3rd plural fem.	le	them (fem.)

Tip: "Lo" and "la" can refer to people or things. The gender matches the noun being replaced, not the speaker.

Position: Before the Conjugated Verb

In most sentences the direct object pronoun goes immediately before the conjugated verb:

Without Pronoun	With Pronoun	English
Mangio la pizza.	La mangio.	I eat it.
Vedo Marco.	Lo vedo.	I see him.
Compri i libri?	Li compri?	Do you buy them?
Chiama Maria.	La chiama.	He calls her.
Conosci noi?	Ci conosci?	Do you know us?

Notice the pronoun comes before the verb, never after it (in standard declarative sentences).

Elision with Lo and La

Before a verb starting with a vowel or the letter h, lo and la contract with an apostrophe:

Full Form	Contracted	Example
lo aspetto	l'aspetto	I wait for him
la ascolto	l'ascolto	I listen to her
lo ho visto	l'ho visto	I saw him

Important: "Li" and "le" (plural) do not contract: Li aspetto (I wait for them).

Position with Infinitives

When a direct object pronoun accompanies an infinitive, it attaches to the end of the infinitive (which drops its final -e):

Separate	Combined	English
Voglio mangiare la torta.	Voglio mangiarla.	I want to eat it.
Devo chiamare Marco.	Devo chiamarlo.	I must call him.
Posso aiutare te?	Posso aiutarti?	Can I help you?

With modal verbs (potere, volere, dovere), Italian allows two positions — both are correct:

Lo voglio mangiare. (before the modal)
Voglio mangiarlo. (attached to the infinitive)

Position with Ecco

Direct object pronouns can attach to ecco (here is / here are):

Example	English
Eccomi!	Here I am!
Eccolo!	Here he is! / Here it is!
Eccoli!	Here they are!
Eccola!	Here she is! / Here it is!

Position with Imperatives

With affirmative imperatives (tu, noi, voi), the pronoun attaches to the end:

Command	With Pronoun	English
Mangia la mela!	Mangiala!	Eat it!
Chiamate Marco!	Chiamatelo!	Call him!
Compriamo i biglietti!	Compriamoli!	Let's buy them!

With negative imperatives, you have two choices:

Non mangiare + la = Non mangiarla! OR Non la mangiare!
Non lo fare! OR Non farlo!

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Mistake	Correction	Why
Io mangio lo.	Lo mangio.	Pronoun goes before the verb
Li ascolto. (meaning "her")	La ascolto.	"Li" is masculine plural; "la" is feminine singular
Lo voglio mangiare lo.	Lo voglio mangiare. / Voglio mangiarlo.	Don't use the pronoun in both positions
L'aspetto. (meaning "them")	Li aspetto.	Only lo/la contract, not li/le

Dialogue: At the Market

— Buongiorno! Vuole queste arance? (Good morning! Do you want these oranges?) — Si, le prendo. Quanto costano? (Yes, I'll take them. How much do they cost?) — Due euro al chilo. E questo formaggio, lo vuole? (Two euros per kilo. And this cheese, do you want it?) — Si, lo prendo. E la mozzarella? (Yes, I'll take it. And the mozzarella?) — Eccola! Freschissima! (Here it is! Very fresh!) — Perfetto, la metto nel sacchetto. (Perfect, I'll put it in the bag.)

Practice Exercises

Replace the underlined noun with the correct direct object pronoun:

Mangio la pasta ogni giorno. → ______ mangio ogni giorno.
Leggo il giornale la mattina. → ______ leggo la mattina.
Compriamo le scarpe domani. → ______ compriamo domani.
Vedi Marco e Luca? → ______ vedi?
Chiamo te stasera. → ______ chiamo stasera.
Devo comprare i biglietti. → Devo comprar______.
Vuoi mangiare la torta? → Vuoi mangiar______?
Ecco Maria! → Ecco______!

Answers: 1. La 2. Lo 3. Le 4. Li 5. Ti 6. -li 7. -la 8. -la

Summary

Direct object pronouns replace the noun that directly receives the verb's action. They usually go before the conjugated verb, but attach to infinitives, ecco, and affirmative imperatives. Lo and la contract before vowels, but li and le do not. In the next lesson we will look at indirect object pronouns, which replace the person who benefits from or is affected by the action.