Indirect Object Pronouns in Italian

Overview

Indirect object pronouns replace the person to whom or for whom something is done. In English, we say "I give him a book" or "I write to her." Italian works similarly, but these pronouns go before the conjugated verb, just like direct object pronouns.

The good news is that four of the six forms — mi, ti, ci, vi — are identical to their direct object counterparts. The difference only shows up in the third person: instead of lo/la/li/le, you use gli (to him), le (to her), and gli (to them) for indirect objects.

Mastering indirect object pronouns is especially important because many common Italian verbs like piacere (to like), telefonare (to phone), and parlare (to speak) take an indirect object where English uses a direct one.

How It Works

The Indirect Object Pronouns

Person	Singular	Plural
1st	mi (to me)	ci (to us)
2nd	ti (to you)	vi (to you all)
3rd masc.	gli (to him)	gli (to them)
3rd fem.	le (to her)	gli (to them)
3rd formal	Le (to you, formal)	—

Note: Traditionally, loro (placed after the verb) was the plural "to them." In modern Italian, gli has almost entirely replaced loro in speech and informal writing.

Placement Rules

Before a conjugated verb:

Scrivo a Marco. → Gli scrivo. (I write to him.)

Attached to an infinitive:

Voglio parlare a Maria. → Voglio parlarle. (I want to talk to her.)

Key Verbs That Take Indirect Objects

Verb	Meaning	Example
dare	to give	Gli do un libro.
dire	to say/tell	Le dico la verità.
telefonare	to phone	Mi telefona ogni giorno.
scrivere	to write	Ti scrivo domani.
piacere	to like/please	Gli piace la pizza.
chiedere	to ask	Ci chiede un favore.
rispondere	to answer	Vi rispondo subito.
mandare	to send	Le mando un messaggio.

Examples in Context

Italian	English	Note
Mi dai una mano?	Can you give me a hand?	mi = to me
Ti parlo dopo.	I'll talk to you later.	ti = to you
Gli telefono stasera.	I'll call him tonight.	gli = to him
Le scrivo un'email.	I write her an email.	le = to her
Ci racconta una storia.	He tells us a story.	ci = to us
Vi mando le foto.	I'll send you (all) the photos.	vi = to you (plural)
Gli piace molto il calcio.	They like soccer a lot.	gli = to them
Le rispondo domani.	I'll answer her tomorrow.	le = to her
Cosa Le posso dire?	What can I tell you (formal)?	Le = to you (formal)
Voglio dirgli la verità.	I want to tell him the truth.	Attached to infinitive
Non mi sembra giusto.	It doesn't seem right to me.	sembrare takes indirect object

Common Mistakes

Confusing gli and le (3rd person singular)

Wrong: Gli scrivo. (meaning "I write to her") Right: Le scrivo. Why: Gli = to him, Le = to her. In the plural, however, gli covers both genders.

Confusing le (indirect) and le (direct)

Wrong: Le chiamo domani. (meaning "I'll call her") Right: La chiamo domani. Why: "Le" as an indirect pronoun means "to her." The direct object pronoun "her" is "la." Chiamare takes a direct object.

Using a + pronoun instead of the indirect pronoun

Wrong: Telefono a lui ogni giorno. Right: Gli telefono ogni giorno. Why: While "a lui" is grammatically possible for emphasis or contrast, the normal form uses the pronoun before the verb. Reserve the stressed form (a me, a te, a lui/lei) for emphasis only.

Practice Tips

• Focus on piacere: Since piacere is one of the most common verbs with an indirect object, practice it with all pronouns: mi piace, ti piace, gli piace, le piace, ci piace, vi piace, gli piace.
• Pair direct and indirect pronouns: Write sentences using both — Gli do il libro / Lo do a Marco — to feel the difference between giving something (direct) and giving to someone (indirect).
• Watch for verbs with "a": If an Italian verb uses "a" before a person (parlare a, telefonare a, scrivere a), it takes an indirect object pronoun.

Related Concepts

• Subject Pronouns
• Direct Object Pronouns
• Piacere