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Italian grammar · Level A2–B1

The pronouns lo, la, gli, ne

To avoid repeating a noun, replace it with a short pronoun before the verb: Conosci Marco? — Sì, lo conosco. For quantities use ne: Quante mele vuoi? — Ne voglio tre.

QuizContents
Contents
  1. Direct pronouns: lo, la, li, le
  2. Ne: “of it, of them”
  3. Where the pronoun goes
  4. Common mistakes
  5. Quiz
  6. FAQ

Direct pronouns: lo, la, li, le

They answer “whom? what?” and replace an object without a preposition. Choose by the noun’s gender and number: il libro → lo, la pizza → la, i libri → li, le chiavi → le. Polite “you” is La.

Object pronouns
PersonDirectIndirect
iomimi
tutiti
luilogli
lei / Leila / Lale / Le
noicici
voivivi
loroli / legli
  • Dov’è il telefono? — Non lo trovo.Where’s the phone? — I can’t find it.
  • Le chiavi? Le ho in tasca.The keys? I’ve got them in my pocket.
  • Scrivo a Luca → Gli scrivo.I write to Luca → I write to him.

Ne: “of it, of them”

Ne replaces a noun when you talk about a quantity or part of it: Quanti caffè bevi? — Ne bevo due. Hai del pane? — Sì, ne ho. The number or quantity word (molto, poco, un chilo) stays after the verb.

Ne also replaces di + something: Che ne pensi? — What do you think about it? Parliamone — Let’s talk about it.

  • Quante mele vuoi? — Ne voglio tre.How many apples do you want? — I want three.
  • Hai fratelli? — Sì, ne ho uno.Do you have brothers? — Yes, one.

Where the pronoun goes

Usually before the verb, together with the negation: Non lo so. With an infinitive the pronoun is attached at the end (dropping -e): voglio vederlo; with modals it can also go before them: lo voglio vedere. In the passato prossimo lo / la shorten before a vowel and the participle agrees: L’ho vista (Anna), Ne ho comprati due.

  • Il film? Non l’ho ancora visto.The film? I haven’t seen it yet.
  • Posso aiutarti?Can I help you?

Tip: In everyday speech gli means both “to him” and “to them”: Gli telefono (Marco / i miei amici). “To her” is le.

Common mistakes

The mistakes people make most often — and the right way.

  • Wrong: Sì, conosco lo.

    Right: Sì, lo conosco.

    The pronoun goes before the verb.

  • Wrong: Voglio tre.

    Right: Ne voglio tre.

    A quantity without the noun needs ne.

  • Wrong: Lo telefono domani.

    Right: Gli telefono domani.

    Telefonare a qualcuno takes the indirect gli.

  • Wrong: La ho vista.

    Right: L’ho vista.

    Before ho it shortens to l’.

Pronouns lo, la, li, le and ne

Quiz

10 questions: choose the right option — the explanation appears straight away.

  1. Question 1

    Conosci Marco? — Sì, _____ conosco bene.

  2. Question 2

    Quante mele vuoi? — _____ voglio tre.

  3. Question 3

    Hai visto Anna? — Sì, _____ ho vista ieri.

  4. Question 4

    Dove sono i biglietti? — _____ ho io.

  5. Question 5

    Telefono a Paolo e _____ dico tutto.

  6. Question 6

    Scrivo a mia madre e _____ racconto il viaggio.

  7. Question 7

    Il libro? Voglio legger_____ stasera.

  8. Question 8

    Hai del latte? — Sì, _____ ho un litro.

  9. Question 9

    Le chiavi? Non _____ trovo.

  10. Question 10

    Che _____ pensi di questo film?

Correct: 0 of 10

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FAQ

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How do I tell lo and gli apart?

Look at the verb without the pronoun: if it is followed by a + person (scrivere a, telefonare a, dire a), use gli / le; if the person or thing follows directly (vedere qualcuno), use lo / la.

What is glielo?

Two pronouns together: gli / le + lo = glielo (“it to him / her”): Glielo do — I give it to him. Likewise me lo, te lo, ce lo.

When does the participle agree with the pronoun?

Always after lo, la, li, le and ne: Li ho visti, Le ho comprate, Ne ho mangiate due (mele). After mi, ti, ci, vi it is optional.

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