We use Italian subject pronouns like io meaning I, tu meaning you, or noi meaning we to replace a person/thing that is the subject of a sentence. From the very moment you introduce yourself to someone in Italian, you use subject pronouns. For example, Ciao, io sono . . . ? E tu, come ti chiami? meaning Hello, I am . . .? And you, what’s your name?.
In this post, we’ll go over what the Italian subject pronouns are, when to use them, and where to put them in a sentence. Did you know that, differently from English, Italian subject pronouns can be omitted? Let’s check them out!
Io sono pronta, e tu? meaning I am ready, and you? 🚀🚀🚀
What are subject pronouns?
Subject pronouns are words that we use for the person/thing that carries out the action in a sentence. They may replace a person or thing that has been previously mentioned, or they are used to refer to yourself or the person/people you’re talking to. For example:
- Maria canta molto bene.Translation: Maria sings very well.
- Lei canta benissimo le canzoni di Mina.Translation: She sings Mina's songs very well.
By using the subject pronoun lei meaning she we can talk more about Maria and what she does, without repeating her name!
Keep reading to learn how to master Italian subject pronouns!
What are the forms of subject pronouns in Italian?
Here are the forms of the Italian subject pronouns:
| Subject Pronouns | English |
|---|---|
io | I |
tu / Lei | you (sg.) / you (sg. formal) |
lei | she / it (f.) |
lui | he / it (m.) |
noi | we |
voi | you (pl.) |
loro | they |
Did you know that when you study how to conjugate an Italian verb — for instance the verb cantare meaning to sing above — you’ll need to learn them with Italian subject pronouns?
Here’s an example!
| Subject Pronouns | English |
|---|---|
(io) canto | I sing |
(tu) canti | you (sg.) sing |
(lei) canta | she / it sings |
(Lei) canta | you (sg. formal) sing |
lui (canta) | he/it sings |
(noi) cantiamo | we sing |
(voi) cantate | you (pl.) sing |
(loro) cantano | they sing |
In the table above, I highlighted two different pronouns in particular: io and Lei. Let’s talk about these two that follow some special rules:
Where in English, “I” is always capitalized, the Italian io isn’t! It follows the same capitalization rules as any other pronoun: unless we have it at the beginning of a sentence, it is lowercase.
- Io vado a casa! Ci vediamo domani!Translation: I am going home! See you tomorrow!capitalized at the beginning of the sentence.
- Anche io vado a casa, a domani!Translation: I am also going home, see you tomorrow!not capitalized if it’s not the beginning of the sentence
In Italian, unlike in English, we have three ways of saying “you”:
an informal one, referring to one person: tu
a formal one, referring to one person: Lei
a plural one: voi
Use voi to talk to address more than one person (where you might say “you all” or “y’all”)
Use the informal tu meaning you when you’re talking to a family member, friend, or peer.
Use Lei when talking to seniors, people who are a lot older than you, professionals (from all professions), or when you enter a public place and want to address people respectfully. When traveling to Italy, for instance, you may need to use Lei when asking someone you don’t know for information. For example:
Mi scusi, Lei mi sa dire quanto costa il biglietto per Matera?Translation: Excuse me, can you tell me how much the train ticket to Matera costs?
But though it is common practice to address people you don’t know (especially if they’re older) with the Leiform, chances are that once you start talking respectfully to someone by addressing them with Lei, that person will tell you:
With these phrases, the person you’re talking to is telling you that it is okay for you to switch from the formal Lei to the informal tu when talking to them. Yeah! 👍👍👍
👉There is a set of more formal Italian subject pronouns that are used in writing. To learn more, click the link.
When to use subject pronouns in Italian?
Unlike English subject pronouns, Italian subject pronouns can usually be omitted (hence, the parentheses in the table above). However there are a few cases where they’re still required.
In most contexts, whether or not you include the subject pronoun is a matter of choice. For example:
In this example, Margherita is introducing herself and, as you can see, she does not need to use the subject pronoun io meaning I to do it! Instead, io is omitted or implied.
Could she have included the pronoun? Yes, but it is not necessary thanks to the fact that Italian conjugated verbs change in a very distinctive way, depending on the subject pronoun.
This is the reason why English subject pronouns are necessary: because the verb alone does not say much about who is doing the action.
However, as we stated above, there are some cases where subject pronouns are still required. Let’s have a look!
When are subject pronouns required in Italian?
Subject pronouns must be used in Italian…
for emphasis
Sei stato tu a prendere il mio telefono?Translation: Was it you who took my phone?for contrast, to avoid ambiguity, or when there is a change in subject:
- Sono stato io, non lui.Translation: It was me and not him.
- Mario e Laura sono arrivati a casa ieri sera. Lui ha lavato i piatti e lei fatto il letto.Translation: Mario and Laura arrived home last night. He did the dishes and she made the bed.
after anche meaning also or pure meaning too and the negative forms neanche, nemmeno, and neppure meaning either/neither:
- Vieni anche tu al cinema domani?Translation: Are you coming to the cinema too tomorrow?
- Neanche noi possiamo venire.Translation: We can't come either.
- Purtroppo, neanch’io.Translation: Unfortunately, me neither.
after proprio:
- Incredibile! Ho appena visto Donatella Versace al nostro supermercato!Translation: Incredible! I just saw Donatella Versace at our supermarket!
- Davvero? Sei sicuro che era proprio lei?Translation: Really? Are you sure it was truly her?
Where to place subject pronouns in Italian?
In general, both English and Italian place subject pronouns before the verb:
Unlike in English, though, Italian subject pronouns stay before the verb even in questions.
- subject pronounverb(Tu) Hai fame?Translation: Are you hungry?Literally: You are hungry?
- subject pronounverb(Lei) Ti ha risposto?Translation: Did she answer you?Literally: She you answered?
- subject pronounverb(Voi) Volete fare una passeggiata?Translation: Do you want to take a walk?Literally: You want to go for a walk?
Note that subject pronouns can also be omitted in questions.
To sum up
When using subject pronouns in Italian, keep the following tips in mind:
When learning about Italian subject pronouns, consider that io meaning I is capitalized only at the beginning of a sentence.
Remember that we have three ways of saying “you,” an informal singular: tu, a formal singular: Lei, and a plural one: voi.
In writing, you may find another set of subject pronouns that are no longer used in modern Italian.
Because conjugated verbs in Italian already include the info about the person that carries the action, subject pronouns are often omitted.
Instead, we use subject pronouns for emphasis, contrast, and in combination with anche/pure meaning too, neanche/neppure/nemmero meaning either/neither, and with proprio meaning exactly/precisely/truly.
Subject pronouns usually come before the verb, unless we want to create contrast/emphasis.
Ready to practice Italian subject pronouns? 💪🧠
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