The subject pronouns
Subject pronouns name who does the action: I, you, he … Italian adds a polite form of address, Lei.
The subject pronouns at a glance
| Person | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| 1st person | io (I) | noi (we) |
| 2nd person | tu (you) | voi (you, plural) |
| 3rd person | lui / lei (he / she) | loro (they) |
| Polite (you) | Lei (you, formal) | voi (you, formal) |
Italians usually drop the pronoun
The verb ending already tells you who the subject is: parlo can only mean I speak, parli only you speak. So the pronoun is normally left out.
Parlo italiano.
I speak Italian.
Abitiamo a Milano.
We live in Milan.
Dov'è il libro? È sul tavolo.
Where is the book? It is on the table.
There is no subject pronoun for it: things and the weather just take the bare verb.
When the pronoun appears
Emphasis and contrast
When two people are set against each other, the pronoun makes the difference audible. With lui and lei it is even necessary, because both share the same verb form (è).
Io parlo italiano, tu parli tedesco.
I speak Italian, YOU speak German.
Lui è italiano, lei è tedesca.
He is Italian, she is German.
After “anche” (also)
Anch'io!
Me too!
Anche tu!
You too!
Standing alone
With no verb, for example as a one-word answer, the pronoun stands on its own.
Chi? — Io!
Who? — Me!
The polite form Lei
With strangers, older people and in professional settings, Italian uses Lei, not tu. Capitalised Lei (you) takes the 3rd person singular verb, exactly like lowercase lei (she). To several people you say voi.
Come stai?
How are you?
tu, informal
Come sta?
How are you?
Lei, formal
Parli italiano?
Do you speak Italian?
tu, informal
Parla italiano?
Do you speak Italian?
Lei, formal
