Modern Italian Grammar: A Practical Guide, Third Edition (2013)

Part B. Functions

I. Giving and seeking factual informatio

18. Referring to objects and people

18.1 Introduction

When talking or writing, you often need to refer to somebody or something without naming them, usually to avoid repeating a name or object already mentioned earlier; in English you can do this by using ‘this’ or ‘that’, ‘he’ or ‘she’ or ‘it’. In Italian, too, you can use pronouns (see Chapter 3) to refer back to someone or something mentioned already.

18.2 Using a pronoun to refer back

There are many different kinds of pronoun (demonstrative, indefinite, interrogative, personal, possessive, relative), and all of them can be used to refer to a noun already mentioned. Here we look in detail at personal pronouns, the pronouns that describe people and also objects. For details of all the personal pronoun forms (stressed, unstressed and combined), see 3.3 and 3.4 respectively.

18.3 Using a pronoun: referring to the subject of the action

In Italian, when talking about the person or entity carrying out an action (‘the subject’), you do not usually need the subject pronoun, as you do in English (‘he, she’, etc.); the verb ending indicates who or what is carrying out the action (see 2.1.3 and 3.3.1). But sometimes you want to emphasise who is carrying out an action, to distinguish him/her from someone else or to emphasise the contrast:

Io vado a scuola, lui va a lavorare.

I'm going to school, he's going to work.

Noi andiamo al cinema. Voi dove andate?

We're going to the cinema. Where are you going?

18.4 Using a pronoun: referring to the object of the action

When you want to refer to somebody who is the object of the action, use an object pronoun (English me, you, her, him, us, them). These can be either stressed or unstressed. The forms of stressed and unstressed object pronouns are shown in 3.3.2 and 3.4.1 respectively.

18.4.1 Using stressed object pronouns

When you want to emphasise the identity of the person you are referring to, use the stressed or emphatic pronouns (see 3.3.2). You also use these if you want to contrast or compare, or to distinguish him/her from somebody else. The three sets of examples below show the different emphasis given, depending on whether you use an unstressed object pronoun (examples A) or a stressed object pronoun (examples B):

After a preposition (con, di, da, a, per … etc.) the stressed forms are the only form that can be used:

Ho parlato di voi con la Dott.ssa Prati.

I talked about you with Dr Prati.

Ho telefonato a te prima che a Sandra.

I rang you before I called Sandra.

Questa lettera è per lui.

This letter is for him.

Ti ho visto con lei.

I saw you with her.

Stressed object pronouns are used mainly to refer to people. Using lui, lei, loro to refer to animals - or even more so to inanimate objects - has the effect of endowing them with a ‘human’ personality. Questo, quello can be used instead.

Here, in this news item, a motorcyclist whose life has been saved says how grateful he is to his crash helmet for protecting him. Clearly he thinks of it almost as a friend, hence the use of lui:

Io devo la mia vita a questo casco. È grazie a lui che sono vivo.

I owe my life to this helmet. It's thanks to it that I'm alive.

18.4.2 Using unstressed object pronouns

The most common way to refer to somebody or something - when no particular emphasis is required - is to use unstressed object pronouns (3.4.1-2).

The pronouns can be direct object pronouns (used when the action directly involves or affects the person or thing):

Mi piace il caffè italiano, lo bevo tutti i giorni.

I like Italian coffee, I drink it every day.

Hai la chiave? Sì, ce l'ho.

Have you got the key? Yes, I've got it.

Alternatively, they can be indirect object pronouns (used when the action is aimed at or directed to them). Common verbs which often use indirect pronouns include:

Paola è rimasta senza soldi. Domani le mando duecento euro.

Paola's got no money left. Tomorrow I'll send two hundred euros to her.

A che ora gli telefoni?

At what time will you call (to) him?

Ciao. Scrivi mi presto!

Bye. Write to me soon.

Di mmi !

Tell me!

Dammi lo zucchero!

Give (to) me the sugar!

Both indirect and direct object pronouns can be found in the same sentence:

Mi piacciono le poesie di Montale e le ho lette tutte.

I like Montale's poems and I've read them all.

The direct and indirect pronouns can also be combined (see 3.4.6):

Se vedi Anna, dille di telefonarmi.

Va bene, glielo dirò, non preoccuparti.

If you see Anna, tell her to ring me.

All right, I'll tell her, don't worry.

Ho lasciato le chiavi della macchina a casa tua!

Non ti preoccupare, te le porto stasera.

I left the car keys at your house!

Don't worry, I'll bring you them tonight.

Remember that occasionally the correct pronoun might not be the one you think. An English ‘it’ might be plural li, le in Italian, if it refers to a plural noun such as hair, furniture, spaghetti, tagliatelle or other sorts of pasta:

Odio questi mobili. Li brucerei.

I hate this furniture. I'd burn it.

Quanto erano buone le lasagne! Le ho mangiate tutte!

How good the lasagne was! I ate all of it!

One of the main problems for English speakers is remembering that the unstressed pronouns usually come before the verb (but see 3.4.7).

18.4.3 Direct or indirect object?

Another problem for English speakers is knowing when to use the indirect object pronoun in Italian. This is because in English direct object and indirect object are not always distinguishable. Sometimes English uses the word tobefore the pronoun, showing clearly that it is an indirect object, for example ‘I'll give the parcel to him’ or ‘He lent the novel to me’. But it is equally possible to say in English: ‘I'll give him the parcel’, ‘He lent me the novel’, as if the pronoun were a direct object.

Look at these examples, where Italian distinguishes between direct and indirect object pronouns, depending on the choice of verbs, but where English uses identical pronoun forms (‘him’, ‘them’) for both direct and indirect:

Direct:

Chiamalo subito.

Call him now.

Indirect:

Telefonagli subito.

Ring him now.

Direct:

Li accompagno all'aeroporto.

I'll take them to the airport.

Indirect:

Gli do un passaggio.

I'll give them a lift.

18.4.4 Piacere, servire

Piacere sometimes presents difficulties for learners of Italian. With piacere (see 28.2.1), the object liked is the grammatical subject of the verb, while the person who likes it is referred to by an indirect pronoun, for example mi(literally ‘Music pleases to me’, ‘The shoes please to me’). You don't need to add a pronoun to refer to the person or object liked, since he, she or it is implicit in the verb form. Look at these examples:

Similarly, when we use servire ‘to be of use to’ (see 23.3.6) or similar verbs, the object needed (le forbici) is the grammatical subject of the verb (‘the scissors are of use to me’), while the person needing them is expressed by the indirect pronoun, either stressed or unstressed. When you want to refer to the objects without mentioning them again, simply miss them out: in the first example, this applies to le forbici and in the second example, la calcolatrice:

Ti servono le forbici? (unstressed object pronoun)

Do you need the scissors?

Le forbici servono a te? (stressed object pronoun)

Do you need the scissors?

Sì, mi servono (le forbici).

Yes, I need them (the scissors).

Signora, Le serve la calcolatrice? (unstressed object pronoun)

Do you need the calculator, signora?

La calcolatrice serve a Lei, signora? (stressed object pronoun)

Do you need the calculator, signora?

Sì, mi serve (la calcolatrice).

Yes, I need it (the calculator).

18.5 Referring to someone or something using questo, quello

The demonstrative pronouns questo, quello can also be used to avoid naming or repeating the object or person (see 3.8.1). Often, however, the use of quello, quella without naming the person involved indicates dislike or contempt:

Non c'è nessuno più egoista di quella.

There is no one more self-centred than that woman.

è questo il tuo nuovo amico?

Is this your new friend?

Non ho mai mangiato una torta come questa.

've never eaten a cake as good as this one.

Hai visto quello ?

Did you see that man?

Questo è il mio tavolo.

This is my desk.

Ti servono dei fogli? Prendi quelli.

Do you need some sheets of paper? Take those.

The English ‘the former … the latter’ can be conveyed by using quello and questo respectively, but only in written texts. Sometimes ‘the latter’ is conveyed by quest'ultimo.

18.6 Using indefinite pronouns to refer to someone/something

Often indefinite pronouns such as alcuni (see 3.9.3, 11.6.4), altri, certi (see 3.9.3), ognuno (see 3.9.1) can be used to refer to something or someone previously mentioned:

Abbiamo parlato con i prigionieri di guerra. Alcuni di loro erano stati presi all'inizio del conflitto.

We spoke to the prisoners of war. Some of them had been taken at the beginning of the conflict.

Avevamo invitato una ventina di bambini alla festa. Ognuno di loro ha ricevuto un regalino prima di andare a casa.

We invited around twenty children to the party. Each of them received a small present before going home.

La sala d'attesa era piena di viaggiatori pallidi e stanchi. Alcuni sfogliavano giornali, altri sonnecchiavano.

The waiting room was full of pale, tired travellers. Some were flicking through newspapers, others were dozing.

18.7 Referring to something or someone mentioned

The words simile, tale (see 3.9.3) can be used referring to something or someone already mentioned:

Nell'incidente sono morti cinque giovani tutti di Cornate. Al paese non era mai accaduta una tale tragedia.

In the accident, five young people died, all from Cornate. A similar tragedy had never happened in the village.

Una cosa simile si vedeva a Opicina (vicino Trieste) dove un cane di nome Lucky era un cliente abituale del Bar Centrale.

Something similar used to be seen in Opicina (near Trieste) where a dog called Lucky was a regular customer of the Bar Centrale.

18.8 Referring to what has been said or will be said

Particularly in business or formal letters, Italian makes use of expressions such as come sopra, sopraindicato, sopraccitato, sopraddetto, referring back, or il seguente, come segue, quanto segue, to refer forward:

Per eventuali chiarimenti, si prega di telefonare al numero sopraindicato.

For eventual clarification, please telephone the above number.

Prima di accendere il vostro frigorifero, vi suggeriamo di leggere il seguente:

Before turning on your fridge, we suggest you read the following: