Pronouns - Structures - A Practical Guide - Modern Italian Grammar

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

Part A. Structures

3. Pronouns

3.1 What is a pronoun?

A pronoun (pro + noun) is literally a word that takes the place of, or fulfils the function of, a noun in certain specific circumstances.

There are several types of pronouns in Italian (as in English): demonstrative, indefinite, interrogative, personal, possessive, relative. Each type of pronoun is covered separately in this section.

In order to complete the picture, for the demonstrative, indefinite, interrogative and possessive pronouns, we also look at the corresponding adjectives at the same time.

3.2 Personal pronouns: introduction

Personal pronouns are the main thread of any spoken or written discourse. Their function is to refer to somebody or something known to both speaker and listener, either when they are present or when they have already been mentioned in the conversation or in the text. In Italian personal pronouns have the same gender and number as the noun to which they refer.

3.3 Stressed personal pronouns

Stressed pronouns are only used when you want to identify clearly the person to whom you are referring, usually to distinguish him/her from somebody else (see 8.3 and 8.4). Stressed pronouns almost always refer to people, rather than to things or animals.

Stressed pronouns are normally quite separate from other words, and in particular from the verb. For this reason they are sometimes called disjunctive (non-joined) pronouns. This separateness gives them a more emphatic position in the sentence. They are distinguished from the more common unstressed pronouns by three main characteristics: (a) their form; (b) their position; (c) the stress that falls on them.

3.3.1 Subject pronouns

Subject pronouns are used to emphasise the person or thing responsible for the action (see 8.3 and 8.4). The forms of the subject pronouns are as follows:

io

I

noi

we

tu

you

voi

you (plural)

lui

he

loro

they

lei

she

Loro

you (formal, plural)

Lei

you (formal)

Other subject pronouns, sometimes found in formal written language and older texts, are:

egli, esso

he

essi

them (masculine)

ella, essa

she

esse

them (feminine)

In Italian it is not essential to use subject pronouns with verbs, unlike in English (see 2.1.3), since the endings of Italian verbs always show who the subject (or person) is, without the need for a pronoun. So the use of pronouns is limited to situations where you need to give special emphasis to the subject (see also 8.4, 18.3):

Chi te l'ha detto?

Me l'ha detto lui.

Who told you that?

He told me.

Io sono scozzese, lei è gallese.

I am Scottish, she is Welsh.

3.3.2 Object pronouns

Object pronouns are used to refer to the person or thing that is the target of an action, and stressed object pronouns place particular emphasis on it. For this reason they are generally much less used than the corresponding unstressedforms (see 3.4).

The forms of the stressed object pronouns are as follows:

me

me

noi

us

te

you

voi

you (plural)

lui

him

loro

them

lei

her

Loro

you (formal, plural)

Lei

you (formal)

These pronouns can be used as the direct object of a verb, for example:

Vorrei vedere te al posto mio!

I'd like to see you in my place!

or, preceded by a preposition, as the indirect object or other complement of a verb:

Dai a me quei soldi.

Give that money to me.

Devi parlare più forte con lui, perché è duro d'orecchi.

You have to speak louder to him, because he's hard of hearing.

For more on the uses of stressed object pronouns, see 18.4.1 and 24.2.1.

Indirect object pronouns (indicating the person or thing at which the action of the verb is directed) also have an unstressed form, used without the preposition a (see 3.4.2). With a preposition, only stressed pronouns can be used.

3.3.3 Reflexive pronouns (stressed)

Reflexive pronouns refer to the object or other complement of a verb, when it is the same person as the subject. This is expressed in English by the use of ‘-self’ (‘himself, ourselves’, etc.).

Here are the stressed (emphatic) forms (for the unstressed forms, see 3.4.3):

me (stesso/a)

myself

noi (stessi/e)

ourselves

te (stesso/a)

yourself

voi (stessi/e)

yourselves

(stesso/a)

him/herself

sé (stessi/e)

themselves

The use of stesso, to increase the emphasis given to the pronoun, is optional. It is not necessary to omit the accent on when it is followed by stesso, although many writers do.

Dovrebbe criticare sé stesso invece di dare la colpa agli altri.

He ought to be more critical of himself instead of putting the blame on others.

Ama il prossimo tuo come te stesso.

Love thy neighbour as thyself.

Sei arrabbiata con te stessa, perché hai fatto un errore.

You are angry with yourself, because you made a mistake.

3.4 Unstressed personal pronouns

The most common way to refer to somebody or something, without mentioning them explicitly, is to use unstressed pronouns (see 18.4.23). Because they are always used in conjunction with a verb, they are also called conjunctivepronouns. The unstressed pronouns can be direct object, indirect object or reflexive, depending on their relationship with the verb. The unstressed pronouns are always used without a preposition. (With a preposition, for example a, da, di, con, per, only the stressed forms can be used.) The unstressed pronouns normally come before the verb with some exceptions: they come after and are attached to the infinitive, the gerund, the participle and the tu, noi, voiimperative forms (see 3.4.7 below).

3.4.1 Direct object pronouns

Direct object pronouns are those used with transitive verbs such as amare, comprare, leggere, mangiare, odiare, sentire, vedere, to name just a few (see 2.1.6). They indicate the thing, person or entity that the action of the verb directly affects, in other words, its ‘object’, and are much more frequently used than the stressed object pronouns seen above (see also 18.4.1 and 18.4.2).

mi

me

ci

us

ti

you

vi

you (plural)

lo

him, it

li

them

la

her, it

le

them

La

you (formal)

Oggi ho fatto una discussione con il capo. Lui mi odia.

Today I had an argument with my boss. He hates me.

Ti amo più di ogni altra cosa al mondo.

I love you more than anything else in the world.

I ragazzi non vogliono la pizza, non la mangiano mai.

The kids don't want pizza, they never eat it.

Scendiamo dalla macchina, così Giancarla ci vede.

Let's get out of the car, that way Giancarla will see us.

3.4.2 Indirect object pronouns

The indirect object pronouns are used to indicate that the action of a verb is aimed at or to something or somebody (see 18.4.13, 24.12, 25.3.2). They are used, therefore, with verbs which take an indirect object, such as dare, mandare, telefonare. When used alongside a direct object, they produce combined pronoun forms (see 3.4.6). One of their most common uses is with the verb piacere to express likes and dislikes.

The indirect object forms are as follows:

mi

to me

ti

to you

gli

to him

le

to her

Le

to you (formal)

ci

to us

vi

to you (plural)

gli (loro)

to them


NOTE In written Italian, and occasionally in formal spoken Italian, the pronoun loro (coming after the verb) can be used instead of gli.


Ti telefono domani mattina.

I'll call you tomorrow morning.

Le do la chiave della stanza, signora.

I'll give you the room key, signora.

Il caffè mi piace dolce.

I like my coffee sweet.

I bambini sono contenti. Gli piace il cioccolato!

The children are happy. They like chocolate.

3.4.3 Reflexive pronouns

Reflexive pronouns refer to the object or other complement of a verb, when it is the same person as the subject. This is expressed in English by the use of ‘-self’ (‘himself, ourselves’, etc.). We have already looked at the stressed form of the reflexive pronouns (see 3.3.3 above). The unstressed reflexive pronouns are as follows:

mi

myself

ti

yourself

si

himself/herself

ci

ourselves

vi

yourselves

si

themselves

The reflexive pronouns have the same function as the direct object pronouns seen above, but are used when the object and the subject of the verb are the same person.

Io mi lavo tutte le mattine alle 7.

I wash (myself) every morning at 7.

Guardati allo specchio!

Look at yourself in the mirror!

I miei figli si stanno preparando per gli esami.

My children are getting (themselves) ready for the exams.

In addition to this genuinely reflexive use, these pronouns are also used with the various pronominal forms of verbs (see 2.1.10).

Although it might seem as if there are a lot of different pronoun forms to learn, in the first and second person the unstressed pronouns (mi, ti, ci, vi) are all the same, whether indirect object, direct object or reflexive. The indirect object, direct object and reflexive pronouns differ from each other only in the third person singular and plural, as shown below:

Indirect

Direct

Reflexive

Masculine sing

gli

lo

si

Feminine sing

le

la

si

Masculine pl

gli

li

si

Feminine pl

gli

le

si

3.4.4 Ne

Ne used as partitive

The pronoun ne is called partitive when it refers to a part or quantity of something or somebody. Ne is almost always used with an indication of quantity. It may be a number, a specification of weight or length, or an indefinite pronoun, for example molto, poco (un po', un pochino), troppo, abbastanza (see also 11.6.5, 11.7):

Desidera del pane?

Si, ne vorrei un chilo.

Would you like some bread?

Yes, I would like one kilo (of it).

È squisito questo gelato.

Vuoi assaggiarne un po'?

This ice cream is delicious.

Would you like to taste a little bit (of it)?

Ne is invariable (does not change form) and can refer to any noun (masculine, feminine, singular or plural). It occupies the same position in the sentence as the other unstressed pronouns: either before the verb or after and attached to the infinitive, the gerund, the participle and the tu, noi, voi imperative forms (see 3.4.7).

Although invariable, ne reflects the number and gender of the noun to which it refers. In the compound tenses, therefore, the past participle generally agrees with the noun that ne represents, as in the two examples below (see also 3.4.8):

Oggi sono arrivate molte telefonate. Solo Carmen ne ha ricevute dieci.

Today there have been a lot of telephone calls. Carmen alone has had ten (of them).

Oggi sono arrivati molti clienti. Solo il capo ne ha ricevuti cinque.

Today there have been a lot of customers. The boss alone has dealt with five (of them).

Other uses of ne

There are a few cases in which ne is used without a ‘partitive’ meaning, in other words, without any reference to quantity:

(a)With a verb which takes di (for example, pentirsi di, lamentarsi di), expressing ‘of it, about it’:

Non ho comprato quella macchina e me ne pento.

I didn't buy that car and I regret it.

Franco lavora troppo, ma non se ne lamenta.

Franco works too much, but he doesn't complain about it.

(b)Expressing ‘from, out of’:

I miei affari vanno bene. Ne ricavo un buon profitto.

My business is going well. I'm making a good profit (out of it).

Questo ufficio è male organizzato e ne deriva molta confusione.

This office is badly organized and a great deal of confusion arises (from this fact).

(c)With andarsene, starsene and other idiomatic verb phrases:

Vattene!

Andatevene!

Go away!

Go away! (plural)

Non ce la faccio più. Me ne vado!

I can't stand it any more. I'm going away!

Oggi ho la febbre. È meglio che me ne stia a casa.

Today I've got a high temperature. I'd better stay at home.

Chi se ne frega!

Who cares! (fregarsene is rather coarse)

Non me ne importa niente!

I don't care at all! (colloquial but not vulgar or coarse)

Non ne posso più!

I can't bear it any more!

Non ne vale la pena!

It is not worth the effort!

For examples of ne used as adverb of place, see 6.2.5.

3.4.5 Particle ci

Like ne, ci can be used as a pronoun, as an adverb of place, or idiomatically in several expressions.

Like the other conjunctive pronouns, it is normally positioned before the verb, but comes after and is attached to an infinitive, gerund, participle, or the tu, noi, voi form of the imperative:

(a)As an adverb of place, either static or implying movement, with verbs such as abitare, andare, mettere, venire and of course essere:

C'è

Ci sono

There is …

There are …

C'era una volta (una principessa) …

Once upon a time there was (a princess) …

Ci vado quest'estate.

I'm going there this summer.

Napoli mi piace molto. Ci abito da dieci anni.

I like Naples a lot. I've been living here for ten years.

When used as an adverb of place, along with an unstressed direct object pronoun or ne, ci occupies a different position according to the pronoun it is found with:

•It comes after the direct object pronouns mi, ti, vi to form combinations mi ci, ti ci, vi ci. The combination ci ci is not used; vi ci is used in its place, with vi as an adverb of place coming before the direct object pronoun ci.

Chi mi porta all'aeroporto?

Ti ci porto io.

Who's taking me to the airport?

I'll take you there.

Chi ci porta alla stazione?

Vi ci porto io.

Who's taking us to the station?

I'll take you there.

•It comes before the direct object pronouns lo, la, li, le and before ne and changes its form to ce to form the combinations ce lo, ce la, ce li, ce le, ce ne.

Voglio portare il gatto in aereo, ma come ce lo porto?

I want to take my cat on the plane, but how do I carry him on there?

For further examples of ci used as an adverb of place, see 6.2.5.

(b)As a pronoun, used with a verb taking a, to replace either a + noun or a + verb infinitive:

Fumi ancora? Perché non ci rinunci veramente? (ci = a fumare)

Are you still smoking? Why don't you really give it up?

L'Italia mi manca molto. Ci penso spesso. (ci = all'Italia)

I miss Italy a lot. I often think about it.

(c)Used idiomatically with certain verbs (see also 11.5.1):

Non ci vedo.

I can't see.

Non ci sto.

I'm not up for it.

(d)With the verb avere when accompanied by a direct object pronoun such as lo, la, li, le, changing its form to ce:

Ce l'hai?

Have you got it?

Ce le ho.

I have them.

(e)With a reflexive verb, to replace impersonal si (see 2.1.12):

In campagna ci si alza presto.

In the countryside one gets up early (people get up early).

If the impersonal si were used with the third person of a reflexive verb si alza, this would produce *In campagna si si alza presto. To avoid repetition and confusion, the first si changes to ci, as shown in the example above.

3.4.6 Combined pronouns (indirect + direct)

Unstressed pronouns are often used in combination with each other and with ne. When the indirect pronouns mi, ti, gli, le, ci, vi and the reflexive pronoun si are combined with the third person direct object pronouns lo, la, li, le, the indirect object pronoun always comes first. In the case of mi, ti, ci, vi, si, the -i ending changes to -e. Both gli and le combine with the direct object pronoun to form a single word. For combinations with ci used as adverb of place, see 3.4.5.

The table below shows the possible combinations of indirect pronouns (the column on the left), direct pronouns and ne.

image

These combined pronouns, like all the other unstressed pronouns, are normally placed before the verb (me la dai, gliel'ho detto), but they come after and are attached to the infinitive, participle, gerund and tu, noi and voiimperative forms, combining in a single word (dartela, dammelo):

Che bella rosa! Me la dai?

What a beautiful rose! Will you give it to me?

Gliel' ho detto io.

I told her (it).

No non voglio dartela!

No, I don't want to give it to you!

Per favore, diglielo tu.

Please tell her it.

3.4.7 Position before and after verb

The normal position of the unstressed pronouns (whether direct, indirect or combined) is before the verb:

Mi passi lo zucchero?

Me lo passi?

With the infinitive, gerund, participle or tu, noi, voi imperatives, however, the pronouns are attached to the end of the verb form, as in the examples below:

Vengo a trovarvi a Natale.

I 'll come and see you at Christmas.

Conoscendoti bene, direi che ti troverai bene in Sicilia.

Knowing you well, I'd say that you will like Sicily.

Alzati!

Get up!

Chiamiamolo!

Let's call him.

Chiamatemi!

Call me!

In the case of the imperative forms da', di', fa', sta', the first letter of the object pronouns mi, ti, lo, la, ci, vi, li, le is doubled:

Dacci cinque minuti di tempo.

Give us five minutes.

Datti da fare.

Get a move on, get working.

Dimmi cosa vuoi.

Tell me what you want.

Fammi un piacere.

Do me a favour.

Hai chiuso la porta? Fallo prima di andare a letto.

Did you close the door? Do it before going to bed.

Stammi a sentire. (colloquial)

Listen to me.

Although the pronouns before the verb are written as separate words, in speech they virtually combine with the verb, which comes immediately after, so that they sound like a single utterance [misènti, tisènto]:

Pronto! Mi senti?

Hello! Can you hear me?

Sì, ti sento bene!

Yes, I can hear you well!

Glielo dirò io.

I 'll tell her (it).

When the pronouns follow the verb, they are truly attached to it, not only in speech but in the written form (dammi, dirglielo). This shows how closely pronoun and verb are linked.

Dammi lo zucchero.

Give me the sugar.

Non dirglielo.

Don't tell her (it). I'll tell her (it).

3.4.8 Dislocation: noun and pronoun used together

Although the object pronoun normally replaces a noun, it is quite common in spoken Italian to hear speakers use the pronoun (particularly the direct object pronoun) but keep the noun as well. This is known as ‘dislocation’. The reason for doing this is to put the emphasis on a particular element of the sentence, whether subject, object or other element (see also 19.6).

Left dislocation (noun comes first) is a way of emphasising what is being discussed but is not very common in Italian. The element that comes first becomes the theme of the sentence but keeps the same grammatical status.

La macchina, io non la prendo.

I'm not taking the car.

Il viaggio lo fa in treno.

He's doing the journey by train.

L'intelligenza ce l'hai, devi solo studiare.

You've got the intelligence, you just need to study.

Right dislocation (noun comes last) is fairly common in spoken Italian. The speaker repeats the object already expressed by a pronoun (for example, li … i biglietti):

Ce li hai, i biglietti?

Do you have the tickets?

Lo vuoi, il caffe?

Do you want coffee?

Ce le hai, le chiavi?

Do you have the keys?

3.4.9 Agreement with past participle

When using compound tenses of the verbs, such as the passato prossimo, the past participle must agree with the gender and number of the direct object pronouns, including ne, which in turn agree with the gender and number of the noun they are replacing:

Hai visto la mia macchina nuova? Sì l'ho vista. (= la)

Did you see my new car? Yes, I saw it.

Hai visto l'ultimo film di Moretti? No, non l'ho visto. (= lo)

Did you see the last Moretti film? No, I didn't see it.

Hai visto i bambini? Sì li ho visti.

Did you see the children? Yes, I saw them.

Hai visto le Olimpiadi? No, non le ho viste.

Did you see the Olympics? No, I didn't see them.

Hai comprato le bibite? Sì, ne ho comprate due.

Have you bought the drinks? Yes, I bought two.

Hai comprato le pesche? Sì, ne ho comprate un chilo.

Have you bought peaches? Yes, I bought a kilo of them.

3.5 Relative pronouns

Relative pronouns have a double function: (a) like the personal pronouns, they refer to a previously mentioned person or thing; (b) they act as a link between two sentences or clauses. The sentence introduced by a relative pronoun (che, cui) is called the relative clause (see 9.3).

Puoi restituirmi la valigia che ti ho prestato?

Can you give me back the suitcase that I lent you?

3.5.1 Che

Che is by far the most common of all relative pronouns in Italian, and indeed one of the most frequently used words in the Italian language. It is used to refer to people, animals or things, and it is invariable (does not change form). In the relative clause it can be either the subject or the direct object of the verb.

Subject:

L'albero che cresce davanti alla mia finestra è una quercia.

The tree that grows in front of my window is an oak.

Ricordi lo scrittore che ha vinto il Premio Strega?

Do you remember the writer who won the Strega Prize?

Object:

L'albero che ho tagliato stamattina era una quercia.

The tree that I cut down this morning was an oak.

Ricordi lo scrittore che l'Università ha invitato a fare una conferenza?

Do you remember the writer whom the University invited to give a talk?

When used as a relative pronoun che is never preceded by a preposition.

3.5.2 Cui

Cui is the relative pronoun used with the function of indirect object or other complement of the verb. It is usually preceded by a preposition (for example, a, con, da, di, in, per). Like che, cui is invariable and can refer to any noun (masculine, feminine, singular or plural) without changing form.

Questo è l'ufficio in cui dobbiamo trasferirci l'anno prossimo.

This is the office which we have to move into next year.

Sto lavorando sulla pratica di cui ti ho parlato ieri.

I am working on the file which I spoke to you about yesterday.

Oggi quella signora a cui abbiamo mandato la fattura è venuta a pagare.

Today the lady to whom we sent the invoice came to pay.

Per cui often expresses a reason:

Il motivo per cui non andiamo in vacanza è che mancano i soldi.

The reason we are not going on holiday is that we are short of money.

When cui is used as an indirect object indicating the person or thing at whom/which the action of the verb is directed, as in the last example above, the preposition a can be omitted:

Vorrei gli indirizzi di tutte le ditte cui abbiamo inviato il nostro catalogo.

I would like to have the addresses of all the companies to whom we sent our catalogue.

Il problema cui ti riferisci è stato già affrontato.

The problem to which you are referring has already been dealt with.

Cui is also used as a possessive adjective (English ‘whose’), placed between the definite article and the noun it refers to:

Bisogna trovare la persona le cui chiavi sono rimaste sul mio tavolo.

We have to find the person whose keys have been left on my table.

Verrà assunto il candidato il cui curriculum risulterà più adatto.

The candidate whose CV turns out to be the most suitable will be employed.

3.5.3 Il quale, la quale, i quali, le quali

These are used in place of che and cui, when you need to specify more clearly which noun the relative pronoun is referring to. Unlike che and cui, these pronouns vary in gender and number, as too does the definite article used with them, making it clearer which noun is being referred to.

Il quale is often used to replace cui when there is a need for more clarity in the reference. In this context, it is always used with a preposition combined with definite article (for example, del quale, alla quale). Compare the examples below with the parallel examples above, in which cui was used:

Sto lavorando sulla pratica della quale ti ho parlato ieri.

I am working on the file which I spoke to you about yesterday.

Vorrei gli indirizzi di tutte le ditte alle quali abbiamo inviato il catalogo.

I would like to have the addresses of the companies to which we sent the catalogue.

Verrà assunto il candidato, il curriculum del quale risulterà più adatto.

The candidate whose CV turns out to be most suitable will be employed.

Il quale is used far less frequently, without a preposition, as a replacement for che, and then only in a formal context, for example in legal or bureaucratic language as in the example below:

Tutta la corrispondenza deve essere firmata dal direttore, il quale ne assume la responsabilità legale.

All correspondence must be signed by the manager, who assumes legal responsibility for it.

3.5.4 Chi

The most common use of chi is as an interrogative pronoun in questions or indirect questions (see 3.6.1 below). It is also used, however, as a relative pronoun, referring to people, never to things. In this context, although it always takes a singular verb, it has a plural meaning (‘people who, those who’):

Le Pagine Gialle online sono utili soprattutto a chi lavora nel commercio.

The online Yellow Pages are useful especially for those who are in business.

I nostri prodotti sono disegnati per chi apprezza la funzionalità.

Our products are designed for people who appreciate the functional approach.

Because of this generic meaning, it is frequently used in sayings and proverbs. Here are five sayings of popular wisdom, in which chi is used (see if you can find the equivalent proverb in English):

Chi cerca trova.

Chi va piano va sano e va lontano.

Chi di spada ferisce di spada perisce.

Chi tace acconsente.

Chi troppo vuole nulla stringe.

3.6 Interrogative pronouns and adjectives

Interrogatives are used to ask questions (see also Chapter 15). Some interrogatives can be used as both pronouns (standing on their own) and adjectives (attached to a noun), while others can be used only as pronouns. One interrogative (quanto) can also be used as an adverb. Two of these interrogatives (che, quanto) are commonly used in exclamations and we have given examples.

3.6.1 Chi

Chi (who?) is used only as pronoun. It is used in direct and indirect questions, is invariable and can refer to masculine or feminine, singular or plural. It can be the subject of the verb, as in the first example, or the object, as in the second example:

Chi viene con me?

Who's coming with me?

Chi hai invitato?

Whom did you invite?

Non mi ricordo chi ha telefonato.

I don't remember who phoned.

Chi crede di essere?

Who does she think she is?

Chi can also be used in an exclamation:

Ma guarda chi c'è!

Look who's here!

3.6.2 Che cosa/cosa?

Che cosa (what?) is used only as pronoun. Che cosa is invariable in both number and gender and can be either subject of the verb (as in the first example) or object (as in the second example):

Che cosa succede domani?

What is happening tomorrow?

Che cosa volete fare oggi?

What do you want to do today?

Che cosa can be replaced by cosa in spoken Italian. Cosa is also invariable:

Cosa prendi da bere?

What do you want to drink?

Che cosa can also be replaced by che (see also 3.6.5), which is also invariable and is used more frequently in the south of Italy:

Che vuoi?

What do you want?

Che è successo?

What's happened?

3.6.3 Quanto

Quanto (how much, how many?) can be used both as pronoun (standing on its own) and as adjective (accompanying a noun). Whether pronoun or adjective, it changes form (quanto, quanta, quanti, quante) according to the number (singular/plural) and gender (masculine/feminine) of the noun it refers to:

In quanti siete? (pronoun)

How many of you are there?

Quanto zucchero prendi? (adjective)

How much sugar do you take?

Quante paia di scarpe hai? (adjective)

How many pairs of shoes do you have?

Quanto can also be used in an exclamation:

Ma quanta roba hai portato!

What a lot of stuff you've brought!

Quante storie! (colloquial expression)

What a song and dance!

Quanto can also be used as an adverb (see 6.3.3).

3.6.4 Quale

Quale (which?) can be used both as pronoun (standing on its own) and as adjective (accompanying a noun). Whether as pronoun or adjective, it has both singular form (quale) and plural form (quali). Quale can be translated into English as either ‘which’ or simply ‘what’. Note that quale can be shortened to qual as in the example below, but should never be followed by an apostrophe.

Quale vestito metto stasera? (adjective)

Which dress shall I put on tonight?

Quali scarpe metto per la festa? (adjective)

Which (what) shoes shall I put on for the party?

Qual è il Suo indirizzo? (pronoun)

What is your address?

Mi piacciono le scarpe nere ma anche quelle viola. Tu quali preferisci? (pronoun)

I like the black shoes but also the purple ones. Which ones do you prefer?

3.6.5 Che

Che (what, which?) can be used both as pronoun, standing on its own (see 3.6.2 above), and as adjective (accompanying a noun). It is invariable:

Che camera volete? La camera

What (which) room do you want?

matrimoniale? (adjective)

The double room?

Che giornali leggi? (adjective)

What newspapers do you read?

Che as an adjective can also be used in an exclamation:

Domani andiamo in Italia! Che bello!

Tomorrow we're going to Italy! Brilliant!

Che bella notizia!

What great news!

Che brutto uomo!

What an ugly man!

An additional che is inserted before the verb in this colloquial exclamative expression:

Che brutto che sei!

How ugly you are!

Here are a few more examples comparing the two different functions — pronoun or adjective — of quanto, quale and che (for more examples see Chapter 15):

Pronoun

Adjective

Quant'è?

Quanto pane hai comprato?

How much is it?

How much bread did you buy?

Quante ne vedi?

Quante macchine vedi?

How many do you see?

How many cars do you see?

Qual è il tuo?

Quale bicchiere hai usato?

Which one is yours?

Which glass have you used?

Quali preferisci?

Quali canzoni preferisci?

Which ones do you prefer?

Which songs do you prefer?

Che vuoi?

Che dolce vuoi?

What do you want?

Which cake do you want?

3.7 Possessive pronouns and adjectives

Possessives indicate the person to whom something or somebody belongs. Like personal pronouns they have six grammatical ‘persons’ (‘my, your, his’, etc.). In Italian each of the six persons has four different endings which agree with the noun which they specify (except loro which is invariable), for example, il mio ragazzo, la mia macchina, i miei amici, le mie scarpe.

Possessive pronouns and adjectives are identical in form (whereas English has the variation ‘my/mine’, ‘your/yours’, etc.). The pronouns are used on their own to refer to something that has already been mentioned or that is actually present. The adjectives are always attached to a noun.

Adjective:

Questa è la mia scrivania.

This is my desk.

Pronoun:

E questa è la tua.

And this is yours.

The following table shows all the forms of the possessives:

Person

Masc sing

Fem sing

Masc pl

Fem pl

1st

mio

mia

miei

mie

2nd

tuo

tua

tuoi

tue

3rd

suo

sua

suoi

sue

4th

nostro

nostra

nostril

nostre

5th

vostro

vostra

vostri

vostre

6th

loro

loro

loro

loro

3.7.1 Use of article with possessives

While in English possessives are never accompanied by articles, in Italian the opposite applies: possessives are always preceded by an article, except in a few cases. Both article and possessive must agree in gender and number with the noun to which they are attached, not with the person who owns the object:

il suo computer

his/her computer

la sua macchina

his/her car

i suoi soldi

his/her money

le sue colleghe

his/her colleagues (female)

The only exception to this rule is with relatives, which do not take the definite article when they are used in the singular:

mia madre

mio padre

mia sorella

mio fratello

mia cugina

my mother

my father

my sister

my brother

my cousin (female)

Note the use of the article when there is more than one relative:

i miei genitori

le mie cugine

my parents

my cousins (female)

With loro ‘their’, the article is always used:

la loro madre

il loro zio

their mother

their uncle

Again, the article is always used when the noun is qualified in some way by a suffix (for example, as a term of affection) or an adjective:

la sua sorellina

il mio amato zio

his/her little sister

my beloved uncle

The article can also be used — although this is not a rule — with nonno ‘grandfather’, nonna ‘grandmother’, and with the affectionate terms babbo or papà ‘daddy’ and mamma ‘mummy’:

(il) mio nonno

(la) mia nonna Giuseppina

my grandfather

my grandmother Giuseppina

(la) mia mamma

(il) mio babbo / (il) mio papà

my mummy

my daddy

Finally, when used as possessive pronouns (i.e. not attached to a noun) the article is often omitted:

Di chi sono questi occhiali? Sono miei!

Whose spectacles are these? They are mine!

3.7.2 Position and omission of the possessive

The possessive adjective is usually placed before the noun. When it follows the noun, it carries a strongly emphatic or emotional meaning:

Mamma mia!

Dio mio!

Signora mia!

Figlio mio!

Qui siamo in casa nostra!

Here we are in our own place!

Questo dev'essere opera tua!

This must be your work! (ironical)

In English the possessive is commonly used to indicate personal belongings, or relationships, and parts of the body. In Italian, when the relationship or ownership is obvious, as in the examples shown, you don't use the possessive. In particular the possessive is rarely used to refer to parts of the body:

Porterò la macchina.

I'll bring my car.

Aveva una giacca sulle spalle.

She had a jacket over her shoulders.

Lavati le mani!

Wash your hands!

Mettiti il cappotto!

Put on your coat!

3.7.3 Possessives as nouns

In a few cases possessives are used on their own, as nouns rather than as pronouns:

i miei / i tuoi

my parents / your parents

La Sua / La Vostra del 20.6.12

Your (letter) of 20.6.12 (in business correspondence)

Alla tua! / Alla nostra!

To your health! / To our health! (making a toast)

3.7.4 Proprio

Proprio is used as a possessive in three particular contexts:

(a)To reinforce a normal possessive (as English ‘own’):

L'ho visto con i miei propri occhi!

I saw it with my very own eyes!

(b)In the third person to replace suo, loro, to avoid ambiguity (but only when it refers to the subject of the sentence):

Anna disse a Clara che aveva bisogno dei propri soldi.

Anna told Clara that she needed her (Anna's) money.

Quando scrive le mail, Luciana preferisce usare il proprio computer.

When she writes emails, Luciana prefers to use her own computer.

(c)When the subject is an indefinite pronoun such as tutti, ognuno, nessuno (see 3.9.1) or impersonal si (see 19.5):

Tutti fanno i propri interessi.

Everybody looks after their own interests.

Nessuno ammette facilmente i propri errori.

Nobody easily admits to their mistakes.

In tempo di guerra si faceva il proprio dovere senza esitazione.

In times of war, one did one's duty, without hesitation.

3.8 Demonstrative pronouns and adjectives

Demonstratives are used to indicate something or somebody actually present when you speak, as in the examples below:

Dammi questo libro.

Give me this book.

Metti quella bottiglia in frigorifero.

Put that bottle in the fridge.

They can also refer to something or somebody not physically present, but previously mentioned in the discourse. In this function they are useful in connecting two different statements:

Ho comprato una macchina familiare, perché questa mi sembrava più adatta per la nostra famiglia.

I bought an estate car, because I thought this was more suitable for our family's needs.

3.8.1 Questo, quello

These demonstratives can be used as adjectives (qualifying a noun as in the first two examples above), or on their own as pronouns (as in the last example).

Questo and quello correspond exactly to the English ‘this’ and ‘that’, indicating respectively something or somebody near to or far away from the speaker/writer (in terms of space, time or position in the discourse).

Questo — whether adjective or pronoun — has four different endings that agree with the gender and number of the noun to which it refers:

Adjective:

questo vestito

this dress

questa cravatta

this tie

questi pantaloni

these trousers

queste scarpe

these shoes

Pronoun:

Volevo un paio di scarpe e ho comprato queste.

I wanted a pair of shoes and I bought these.

Cambiati i pantaloni. Questi sono più comodi.

Change your trousers. These are more comfortable.

Quello behaves differently according to whether it is a pronoun or an adjective:

(a)As a pronoun it has four possible endings -o/-a/-i/-e, according to the noun to which it refers:

Questo vestito è mio. Quello è tuo.

This dress is mine. That one is yours.

Questa cravatta è mia. Quella è tua.

This tie is mine. That one is yours.

Questi pantaloni sono miei. Quelli sono tuoi.

These trousers are mine. Those are yours.

Queste scarpe sono mie. Quelle sono tue.

These shoes are mine. Those are yours.

(b)As an adjective it changes its ending, depending on number, gender and the initial letter of the word that follows, following the same pattern as the definite article (see 1.3.4):

Definite article

Demonstrative

Definite article

Demonstrative

Masc sing

Fem sing

Il vestito

Quel vestito

La scarpa

Quella scarpa

L'ombrello

Quell'ombrello

L'amica

Quell'amica

Lo scialle

Quello scialle

Masc pl

Fem pl

I vestiti

Quei vestiti

Le scarpe

Quelle scarpe

Gli ombrelli

Quegli ombrelli

Le amiche

Quelle amiche

Gli scialli

Quegli scialli


Note The pattern of the demonstrative quello, and of the definite article, is also followed by bello (see 1.4.5). There is a third demonstrative adjective in Italian: codesto, used to refer to something far away from the speaker, but near to the person addressed. This is not commonly used except in Tuscany.

Dammi codesto libro.

Give me that book (the one you have).

In most of Italy, the use of codesto is restricted to written bureaucratic language, for example when you want to address an office, company or firm:

Informiamo codesta spettabile ditta che i nostri prezzi subiranno una variazione dal 30/6 p.v.

We would like to inform your company that our prices will change as from 30/6.


3.8.2 Other demonstrative pronouns: ciò, costui, costei, costoro, colui, colei, coloro

These demonstratives are used only as pronouns. They are used instead of questo/quello but mainly in written language.

(a)Ciò refers only to events or ideas, in particular to something that has just been mentioned, usually in the form of a whole phrase, clause or sentence such as:

Il treno è arrivato con un'ora di ritardo, e ciò ci ha fatto perdere l'appuntamento.

The train arrived one hour late, and this caused us to miss the appointment.

Sapete benissimo perché abbiamo preso questa decisione. Di ciò abbiamo già parlato nella riunione di ieri.

You know very well why we took this decision. We already talked about it at yesterday's meeting.

Ciò che, ciò … cui is used when referring to something explained subsequently in a relative clause:

Non ho capito ciò che hai detto.

I didn't understand what you said.

Vorrei spiegarvi ciò di cui ha parlato ieri il direttore.

I'd like to explain to you what the manager talked about yesterday.

(b)A more formal way to refer to people is to use costui/costei/costoro instead of questo/questa/questi and colui/colei/coloro instead of quello/quella/quelli:

Chi è costui?

Who is this gentleman?

Abbiamo inviato una lettera a tutti coloro che parteciperanno al congresso.

We sent a letter to all those who will take part in the congress.

3.9 Indefinite pronouns and adjectives

Indefinite pronouns and indefinite adjectives designate somebody or something without a definite specification. In Italian they take various forms.

Here we look at indefinites according to their different grammatical functions: (a) as pronouns only; (b) as adjectives only; (c) as pronouns and adjectives. Here we illustrate the indefinites most commonly used. In 3.10 we look specifically at those indefinite adjectives and pronouns used to specify quantity.

3.9.1 Pronouns: uno, qualcuno, chiunque, ognuno, qualcosa, niente, nulla

The indefinites listed above are used only as pronouns, on their own and not attached to a noun. All of them have singular forms only.

Uno/a ‘one’, ‘somebody’ can be masculine or feminine and refers to a single person or thing:

C'è uno che ti cerca.

There is a man looking for you.

Non ho mai conosciuto una come te.

I've never met anybody like you.

Che belle prugne. Me ne dai una?

What nice plums! Will you give me one?

Qualcuno/a ‘somebody’ can be masculine or feminine and refers to an undefined person (‘someone’):

C'è qualcuno alla porta.

There is somebody at the door.

It can also be used for objects, when it has the meaning ‘few’:

Ho fatto molte fotografie. Vuoi vederne qualcuna?

I took a lot of photographs. Do you want to see a few of them?

Ognuno/a ‘each one’ can be masculine or feminine and can refer to either people or objects:

Ho comprato un regalo ad ognuno.

I bought a present for each one.

Ci sono tre linee telefoniche, ognuna con un numero diverso.

There are three telephone lines, each with a different number.

The corresponding adjective is ogni (see 3.9.2 below).

Ciascuno has a similar meaning and can be used as both pronoun and adjective (see 3.9.3 below).

Chiunque ‘anyone’, ‘whoever’ is invariable and refers only to people. When introducing a relative sentence it is often followed by a verb in the subjunctive (see 2.2.15).

Chiunque può rivolgersi al direttore.

Anyone can speak to the manager.

Chiunque sia, non voglio rispondergli.

Whoever it may be, I don't want to answer.

Non aprire mai la porta a chiunque chieda di entrare.

Never open the door to anyone who asks to come in.

Qualcosa ‘something’ is invariable and refers only to things. It is usually treated as masculine (although cosa itself is feminine):

Qualcosa è stato fatto, nonostante le difficoltà.

Something has been done, in spite of all the difficulties.

Qualcosa can also be used with da followed by a verb infinitive (qualcosa da fare) or with di followed by an adjective (qualcosa di buono):

C'è sempre qualcosa da fare.

There is always something to be done.

Vorrei qualcosa di buono da mangiare.

I'd like something good to eat.

Niente, nulla ‘nothing’ are also invariable. They are normally used as a double negative, in other words with non before the verb and niente or nulla after it. When niente or nulla come at the beginning of the sentence, they do not require non. Like qualcosa, niente can be followed by da and infinitive (niente da fare) or by di and an adjective (niente di particolare). (See also 16.3.)

Non c'è niente da fare.

There is nothing to do.

La cena? Niente di particolare!

The dinner? Nothing special!

Non fa niente!

It doesn't matter!

Non succede niente.

Nothing happens.

Niente succede. (far less common than the version above)

Nothing happens.

Nulla è più bello di una giornata di sole.

Nothing is more beautiful than a sunny day.

3.9.2 Adjectives: ogni, qualche, qualunque, qualsiasi

The indefinites listed above are used only as adjectives, modifying a noun. They are all invariable and used only in the singular.

Ogni ‘every, each’:

Faccio la doccia ogni giorno.

I have a shower every day.

Ogni volta che entro in ufficio c'è sempre una telefonata per me.

Each time I come into my office, there is always a telephone call for me.

Dobbiamo fare la manutenzione della macchina ogni sei mesi.

We have to service the car once every six months.

Ogni with singular noun can usually be replaced by tutti and plural noun (see also 3.9.3).

Qualche ‘some’ is unique in always taking a singular noun, with a plural meaning:

Qualche volta anche tu sbagli.

Sometimes even you make mistakes.

Dammi qualche francobollo.

Give me a few stamps.

I soldi arriveranno fra qualche giorno.

The money will arrive in a few days.

Qualunque, qualsiasi ‘any, whatever’. The corresponding pronoun (referring to people) is chiunque (see 3.9.1).

Può venire a trovarmi in qualunque momento.

You may come to see me at any time.

Bisogna essere preparati a qualsiasi eventualità.

One should be ready for any eventuality.

Both qualunque and qualsiasi can be followed by a verb in the subjunctive, as in the examples below:

Qualunque cosa dica, ha sempre ragione.

Whatever she says, she is always right.

Dobbiamo essere capaci di risolvere qualsiasi problema si presenti.

We should be able to solve any problem that might arise.

Note the different meaning of qualunque when used after the noun:

Oggi non è un giorno qualunque. È il mio compleanno.

Today is not just any old day. It's my birthday.

3.9.3 Pronouns and adjectives: alcuni, altri, certi, ciascuno, nessuno, tale, tutto

The indefinites listed above can be used both as pronouns and as adjectives.

Alcuni/e as a pronoun is only used in the plural with the meaning ‘some people, a few people’. It can be masculine or feminine, depending on who it refers to:

Non tutte le donne vogliono lavorare fuori casa. Alcune preferiscono stare a casa e badare ai figli.

Not all women want to work outside the home. Some prefer to stay at home and look after their children.

Alcuni is often used in a pair with altri contrasting two groups of people:

Alcuni stavano seduti, altri erano in piedi.

Some people were sitting, others were standing.

Alcuno/a/i/e ‘some, a few’ is sometimes used as an adjective, with plural nouns, instead of the more common qualche, which is always singular (see above 3.9.2):

Sul mio tavolo ci sono alcune pratiche importanti.

There are a few important files on my desk.

The singular forms alcun/o/a are used only in negative sentences, either with non, as an alter-native to the more common nessun/o/a, or after senza:

Non ho alcuna paura.

I have no fear.

Mia madre soffre di ansia ma senza alcun motivo.

My mother suffers from anxiety but without any reason for it.

Ha sbagliato, senza alcun dubbio.

He made a mistake, without any doubt.

Altro/a/i/e can be singular or plural, masculine or feminine. Used as an adjective it means ‘other, another’. Used as a pronoun, it means ‘the other, something else, someone else’. It can refer to people or things:

Desidera un altro caffè?

Would you like another coffee?

Sì, grazie, ne vorrei un altro.

Yes, please, I'd like another one.

Non mi interessa quello che dicono gli altri.

I am not interested in what others say.

Desidera qualcos'altro?

Would you like anything else?

As mentioned above, altro can be used along with alcuni, to contrast two groups of people:

Nel tempo libero, alcuni vanno al cinema, altri preferiscono andare al ristorante.

In their free time, some people go to the cinema, others prefer to go to the restaurant.

Used as a pronoun, altro can be used in idiomatic expressions, as in these two examples:

Senz'altro!

Certainly!

Altro ché!

No wonder!

Certo/a/i/e ‘a certain person’ can be singular or plural, masculine or feminine. As a pronoun, however, it is normally only found in plural form (certi, certe):

Adjective:

Una certa persona mi ha snobbato.

A certain person cut me dead.

Certi studenti non meritano di essere promossi.

Certain students don't deserve to pass.

Pronoun:

Certi non sanno come accendere il computer.

Certain people don't even know how to turn the computer on.

Le donne sono state invitate alla partita ma certe hanno preferito rimanere a casa.

The women were invited to the match but certain of them preferred to stay at home.

Ciascuno/a ‘each (one)’ — whether as pronoun or adjective — is only used in the singular. It can be used instead of the more common ognuno (pronoun, see 3.9.1 above) and ogni (adjective, see 3.9.2 above).

Adjective:

Nel mio giardino ciascuna pianta ha un'etichetta.

In my garden each plant has got a label.

Pronoun:

Ho tre figli e devo sempre comprare un regalo a ciascuno.

I have three children and I must always buy a present for each (one).

Nessun/o/a ‘no, no one, nobody’ can only be singular. As an adjective, it follows the pattern of the indefinite article un/uno/una/un. As a pronoun, it normally uses the masculine singular form nessuno but can use the feminine nessuna if the reference is clearly to a female person. Like niente and nulla (see 3.9.1 above), its normal position is after the verb, with non coming before. If positioned before the verb, it does not need non.

Adjective:

Non c'è nessun dubbio.

There is no doubt.

Non ho visto nessuna macchina per la strada.

I didn't see any cars on the road.

Pronoun:

Non c'è nessuno.

There is nobody there.

Le donne protestano. Nessuna vuole essere pagata meno dei colleghi maschi.

The women are protesting. Nobody wants to be paid less than their male colleagues.

Tale/i ‘such’, ‘a certain’ can be singular or plural. When used as a pronoun it refers to an unidentified person (English ‘chap, bloke, fellow’), and is usually preceded by un or quel. When used as an adjective, it is preceded by the indefinite article (un etc.):

Pronoun:

Di là c'è un tale che ti cerca.

There is a bloke asking for you, next door.

Dica a quel tale di aspettarmi.

Tell that chap to wait for me.

Adjective:

Ho avuto una tale paura, che sono rimasto paralizzato.

I was so scared that I froze.

Tutto/a/i/e ‘all’ can be singular or plural, masculine or feminine. Whether pronoun or adjective, it has to agree with the noun to which it refers. Tutto can also be used as an adverb (see 6.3.5), in which case its form is invariable.

Pronoun:

Le mie amiche sono tutte in vacanza.

My friends are all on holiday.

Tutti sapevano tutto.

Everyone knew everything.

Adjective:

Abbiamo mangiato tutta la pizza.

We ate all the pizza.

Faccio la doccia tutti i giorni.

I have a shower every day.

3.10 Pronouns and adjectives of quantity

This group of pronouns and adjectives is often considered together with indefinite pronouns and adjectives (see 3.9). They include molto (‘much’), parecchio (‘a lot’), poco (‘a small amount’), tanto (‘much, so much’), troppo (‘too much’). Both as pronoun and adjective, they vary their form according to the noun they refer to — masculine/feminine, singular/plural — though the masculine singular form is often used when no specificnoun hasbeen mentioned. All the pronouns in this group can also be used as adverbs, in whichcase they areinvariable(see 6.3.5).

Pronoun:

La bambina ha solo sette mesi. Non mangia molto ancora.

The baby is only seven months old. She doesn't eat a lot yet.

C'era parecchio da mangiare.

There was a lot to eat.

Non mi bastano le maglie. Sono poche.

I haven't got enough sweaters. There are so few of them.

Il treno era pieno. Eravamo in tanti.

The train was full. There were so many of us.

Vuoi un po' di fichi? Io ne ho troppi.

Do you want a few figs? I've got too many.

Adjective:

Ho molti amici.

I have many (boy)friends.

Era nella stessa casa da dieci anni e aveva parecchia roba.

She'd been in the same house for ten years and she had a lot of stuff.

Non legge molto, infatti ha pochi libri.

She doesn't read very much, in fact she has few books.

Ho tante amiche.

I have many (girl)friends.

Hai messo troppa salsa.

You've put too much sauce on.