Italian Indirect Object Pronouns: Mi, Ti, Gli, Le Explained
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If you can say “mi piace la pizza” without a second thought but freeze up on “le telefono” or “gli scrivo un messaggio,” the gap is indirect object pronouns. Here’s what they are, which verbs use them, and where they go in a sentence.
What Italian indirect object pronouns are
Indirect object pronouns replace A (“to”) + a person. They’re used with verbs that answer the question “to whom?”
- Scrivo un messaggio a Marco. — “I write a message to Marco.” → Gli scrivo un messaggio. — “I write him a message.” (gli = to Marco)
- Telefono a Lucia. — “I call Lucia.” → Le telefono. — “I call her.” (le = to Lucia)
The pronoun replaces the person the action is directed at — not just the preposition “to” on its own.
All the Italian indirect object pronouns
| Pronoun | Meaning |
|---|---|
| mi | to me |
| ti | to you |
| gli | to him / to them |
| le | to her |
| ci | to us |
| vi | to you (plural) |
| gli | to them (same form as “to him”) |
Watch out: in the third person singular, gli is masculine (to him) and le is feminine (to her). Gli is also used for “to them” — which actually simplifies things, since it’s the same word either way.
Don’t confuse them with direct object pronouns: gli and le are indirect. Lo and la are direct object pronouns and do a different job in the sentence — they replace the direct object, not “to + person.”
Verbs that commonly take indirect object pronouns
These are verbs followed by A + a person: telefonare a qualcuno (to call someone), dire a qualcuno (to tell someone), scrivere a qualcuno (to write to someone), dare a qualcuno (to give to someone), chiedere a qualcuno (to ask someone), parlare a qualcuno (to talk to someone).
- Dare (“to give”): Do un regalo a mia sorella → Le do un regalo. — “I give her a gift.”
- Dire (“to say/tell”): Dico la verità a un mio amico → Gli dico la verità. — “I tell him the truth.”
- Scrivere (“to write”): Scrivo un’email al mio capo → Gli scrivo un’email. — “I write him an email.”
- Telefonare (“to call”): Telefono ai miei genitori → Gli telefono. — “I call them.”
- Chiedere (“to ask”): Chiedo un favore a te → Ti chiedo un favore. — “I’m asking you a favor.”
In every one of these sentences, someone is doing something toward another person — that’s the signal to use an indirect object pronoun.
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Get the free guide →Where to place the indirect object pronoun
With a conjugated verb, the pronoun goes before the verb:
- Gli telefono domani. — “I’ll call him tomorrow.”
- Mi piace molto questo libro. — “I really like this book.”
With an infinitive, the pronoun attaches to the end of it, and the infinitive drops its final vowel:
- Devo telefonargli. — “I have to call him.”
- Voglio scriverle. — “I want to write to her.”
Don’t worry if this feels awkward at first — with a bit of practice it becomes automatic.
Practice: test yourself on indirect object pronouns
Fill in each blank with the correct indirect object pronoun:
- Marco è il mio migliore amico. Ogni sera _ telefono per raccontar_ la giornata.
- Sara non risponde ai messaggi. Allora _ scrivo un’altra mail.
- I miei genitori vivono lontano, ma _ scrivo sempre lunghe lettere.
- Ragazzi, non _ ho ancora detto la novità. _ dico tutto domani.
- Quando i miei amici hanno bisogno di un consiglio, _ parlo con sincerità.
- Professoressa, posso far_ una domanda? _ chiedo solo due minuti.
Answers: 1. gli / gli · 2. le · 3. gli · 4. vi / vi · 5. gli · 6. le / le
Common mistakes with indirect object pronouns
- Confusing gli/le with lo/la: lo and la replace a direct object (no preposition), while gli and le replace “to + person.” Lo vedo (“I see him”) is different from Gli parlo (“I talk to him”).
- Forgetting gli covers both “to him” and “to them”: many learners look for a separate plural form that doesn’t exist.
- Leaving the pronoun detached from an infinitive: it’s telefonargli, not gli telefonare — the pronoun attaches to the end and the infinitive loses its final vowel.
Recap and next steps
Today you learned what Italian indirect object pronouns are, which verbs commonly take them, and where they go in a sentence. Next time you write a message or make a call in Italian, try using them — with a little practice, it becomes second nature.
