What are indirect object pronouns?
An indirect object pronoun replaces the person you write to, speak to or give something to. It answers the question to whom? and stands directly before the conjugated verb, not after it like the phrase "a Maria".
From a-phrase to pronoun
Le scrivo domani.
I'll write to her tomorrow.
Gli parlo stasera.
I'm talking to him tonight.
Ti dico la verità.
I'm telling you the truth.
The forms
mi, ti, ci, vi are the same words as for the direct object. Only the third person separates "to whom" (gli, le) from "whom" (lo, la).
The indirect pronouns
| Stressed (a + …) | Pronoun | English |
|---|---|---|
| a me | mi | to me |
| a te | ti | to you |
| a lui | gli | to him |
| a lei | le | to her |
| a noi | ci | to us |
| a voi | vi | to you (pl.) |
| a loro | gli | to them |
Maria mi scrive spesso.
Maria often writes to me.
Il professore ci spiega la regola.
The teacher explains the rule to us.
Gli porto un regalo.
I'm bringing him a gift.
Verbs with an indirect object
Many Italian verbs take their object with the preposition a. Learn the "a" together with the verb. Watch telefonare a and chiedere a: English says "call someone" and "ask someone" without "to", but Italian still uses gli / le.
Gli telefono ogni giorno.
I call him every day.
Le rispondo subito.
I answer her right away.
Ti regalo un libro.
I'm giving you a book as a present.
Vi chiedo un favore.
I'm asking you a favour.
