Indirect object pronouns are small words that replace the person who receives something or to whom an action is directed. They help us avoid repeating names and make everyday conversations more natural. In English, we often use expressions such as to me, to you, to him, and to her. Italian expresses these relationships with indirect object pronouns, which are especially common with verbs such as dare (to give), dire (to tell), scrivere (to write), and telefonare (to call).
An indirect object usually answers the question to whom? after a verb. In the sentence Do un libro a Marco (I give a book to Marco), a Marco is the indirect object because it tells us who receives the book. In Italian, indirect objects are commonly introduced by the preposition a, which can combine with definite articles. When we replace a Marco with a pronoun, we use gli (to him). Some Italian verbs also use indirect object pronouns in expressions that work differently in English. The important point is to recognize how the Italian verb is used rather than translate each English word directly.
Do un libro a Marco. → Gli do un libro. — I give a book to Marco. → I give him a book.
Scrivo a Maria. → Le scrivo. — I write to Maria. → I write to her.
Forms and Common Uses
The main Italian indirect object pronouns are mi (to me), ti (to you), gli (to him), le (to her), ci (to us), vi (to you, plural), and gli (to them). The forms mi, ti, ci, and vi are the same as the corresponding direct object pronouns and do not change according to gender. The forms gli and le distinguish between masculine and feminine singular persons: gli refers to a man or boy, while le refers to a woman or girl. In everyday Italian, gli is also commonly used for to them, whether the people are male, female, or mixed. The alternative form loro is more formal and normally follows the verb, as in Scrivo loro (I write to them).
These pronouns are particularly useful when talking about giving something to someone or communicating with another person. For example, mi can mean to me with dare, while ti can mean to you with scrivere. In English, the word to is not always necessary in the translation. A sentence such as Ti do un libro can mean I give you a book, and Gli telefono can mean I call him. This is because Italian verbs such as telefonare and rispondere (to answer) use an indirect object, even when the corresponding English verb does not require to. The choice between a direct and an indirect object pronoun depends on the Italian verb, not on the English translation.
Marco mi scrive. — Marco writes to me.
Ti do un libro. — I give you a book.
Gli telefono domani. — I'll call him tomorrow.
Anna ci manda un messaggio. — Anna sends us a message.
Vi rispondo subito. — I'll answer you right away.
The distinction between direct and indirect object pronouns is important because some forms are different. For example, lo means him as a direct object, while gli means to him as an indirect object. Similarly, la means her as a direct object, while le means to her. Italian uses lo with vedere (to see) because we see someone directly, but gli with telefonare because the Italian verb is constructed with an indirect object.
Lo vedo. — I see him.
Gli telefono. — I call him.
Position of Indirect Object Pronouns
Indirect object pronouns normally come immediately before the conjugated verb, just like direct object pronouns. For example, English says I write to her, but Italian says Le scrivo. The same position is used with all the common indirect object pronouns, including gli when it means to them. In negative sentences, non comes before the pronoun, producing expressions such as non gli parlo (I don't speak to him) or non le scrivo (I don't write to her). This basic word order is the most important pattern to remember for everyday conversations.
Le parlo domani. — I'll speak to her tomorrow.
Non gli rispondo. — I don't answer him.
Summary of Italian Indirect Object Pronouns
| Pronoun | English meaning | Use | Example |
| mi | to me | First person singular | Mi parla. — He/She speaks to me. |
| ti | to you | Informal singular | Ti scrivo. — I write to you. |
| gli | to him | Masculine singular | Gli do il libro. — I give him the book. |
| le | to her | Feminine singular | Le telefono. — I call her. |
| ci | to us | First person plural | Ci scrive. — He/She writes to us. |
| vi | to you | Plural | Vi parlo. — I speak to you all. |
| gli | to them | Plural, all genders | Gli mando un messaggio. — I send them a message. |