5A.2 Direct object pronouns

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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Direct object pronouns replace direct object nouns.
DIRECT OBJECT NOUN
DIRECT OBJECT PRONOUN
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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These are the forms of the direct object
pronouns in Italian.
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Place the direct object pronoun immediately before a
conjugated verb.
Non ti vedo mai al mercato.
I never see you at the market.
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Arturo mi saluta sempre.
Arturo always greets me.
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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?
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I funghi? Non mi piace
comprarli.
Mushrooms? I don’t like to
buy them.
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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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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?
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Mariella mi ha visto al negozio
di alimentari.
Mariella saw me at the
grocery store.
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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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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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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!
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Mamma, eccomi qua!
Mom, here I am!
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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.
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Conosce me?
He knows me?
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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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