1. Punto di partenza
A direct object receives the action of a verb directly and answers the question what? or whom? Direct objects generally follow the verb.
SUBJECT
VERB
DIRECT OBJECT
Gli studenti
The students
hanno mangiato
ate
una pizza.
a pizza.
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2. Direct object pronouns replace direct object nouns.
Compri le pere?
Are you buying the pears?
Le compri?
Are you buying them?
Non conosciamo il macellaio.
We don’t know the butcher.
Non lo conosciamo.
We don’t know him.
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3. These are the forms of the direct object pronouns in Italian.
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4. Place the direct object pronoun immediately before a conjugated verb.
Non ti vedo mai al mercato.
I never see you at the market.
Arturo mi saluta sempre.
Arturo always greets me.
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5. In two-verb constructions with an infinitive, drop the final -e and attach the pronoun to the end of the infinitive.
Ecco le vongole! Hai voglia di mangiarle?
Here are the clams! Do you feel like eating them?
I funghi? Non mi piace comprarli.
Mushrooms? I don’t like to buy them.
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6. In two-verb constructions with dovere, potere, or volere, place the pronoun before the conjugated verb or attach it to the infinitive.
Ho dimenticato le fragole. Le devi comprare!/Devi comprarle!
I forgot the strawberries. You have to buy them!
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7. In sentences with the passato prossimo, place the direct object pronoun directly before the conjugated form of avere. Direct object pronouns are not used with verbs that take essere.
Vi abbiamo chiamato molte volte. Non ci avete sentito?
We called you many times. Didn’t you hear us?
Mariella mi ha visto al negozio di alimentari.
Mariella saw me at the grocery store.
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8. When the direct object pronouns lo, la, li, and le precede a verb in the passato prossimo, the past participle must agree with the pronoun in gender and number.
Le pesche? I bambini le hanno mangiate.
The peaches? The children ate them.
Ecco i carciofi. Li ho comprati ieri.
Here are the artichokes. I bought them yesterday.
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9. Lo and la can be shortened to l’ before verbs beginning with a vowel sound, including avere forms that begin with h. Do not shorten the plural pronouns li and le.
Chi è quella signora? L’ho vista in salumeria l’altro ieri.
Who is that lady? I saw her in the delicatessen the day before yesterday.
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10. To call attention to a person or object, attach the direct object pronoun to the end of ecco.
Dov’è la crostata...? Eccola!
Where is the pie ? Here it is!
Mamma, eccomi qua!
Mom, here I am!
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11. The disjunctive pronouns you learned in Lezione 4A can be used instead of direct object pronouns to add emphasis. Always place disjunctive pronouns after the verb.
Non vedo lui, ma vedo lei.
I don’t see him, but I see her.
Conosce me?
He knows me?
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12. Scegli il pronome diretto corretto per completare ogni risposta.
1. Compri le pere al supermercato? Sì, (le / li) compro al supermercato.
2. Bevi il caffè tutti i giorni? Sì, (le / lo) bevo tutti i giorni.
3. Dove compri le cipolle e i funghi? (Le / Li) compro al mercato.
4. Compri la marmellata al supermercato? Sì, (li / la) compro
al supermercato.
5. Mangiate lo yogurt tutti i giorni? Sì, (la / lo) mangiamo tutti i giorni.
6. Usi spesso le vongole sulla pasta? Sì, (li / le) uso spesso.
7. Conosci quella pasticceria? Sì, (la / le) conosco.
8. Compri qui il pane? Sì, (lo / li) compro qui.
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