A direct object is the direct recipient of the action of a verb.
8 N* T* f4 X, nI invite the boys. Whom do I invite? The boys.: L$ N- o y9 D, N$ w, a
He reads the book. What does he read? The book. 6 m7 x) R5 d# `1 {
The nouns boys and books are direct objects. They answer the question what? or whom? Verbs that take a direct object are called transitive verbs. Verbs that do not take a direct object (she walks, I sleep) are intransitive.1 B: e3 ~3 h# a
Direct object pronouns replace direct object nouns. 0 \- y7 b ^, z6 g! w+ c; I9 [
I invite the boys. I invite them.
& t+ `( `; y7 {3 k' bHe reads the book. He reads it. 6 a4 t' e. B8 B" l
In Italian the forms of the direct object pronouns (i pronomi diretti) are as follows:3 v6 g0 w6 J, t8 G ?' q
SINGULAR! b1 ~. T6 _. e _% U
PLURAL$ k9 [3 k P1 K$ i
mi me3 U% A) R; I' |
ci us! p+ x- }1 w0 p8 F" s8 Q* g
ti you (informal). F# J+ N0 [% t0 A0 ?1 L3 [
vi you (informal)4 f7 k* n; F; z! s% {$ Z! d
La you (formal m. and f.)
$ d2 e# k' W8 k+ k! p. ULi you (form., m.)
0 O8 e: n' I7 `4 Z; V
) [- e, _4 c- b/ n6 mLe you (form., f.)
$ [! n; q$ {- J+ Q3 R% \lo him, it2 n2 s7 J k8 x6 K; x
li them (m. and f.)3 l: H2 G- T5 Q f* p, O
la her, it
, T& U/ s# c0 R9 q6 ]2 y+ ule them (f.)9 Y% o# q& w& P1 M* y9 Y, u' U( b0 b
A direct object pronoun is placed immediately before a conjugated verb. ( o6 d* u2 a# P
Se vedo i ragazzi, li invito. (If I see the boys, I’ll invite them.)* p1 @+ W5 p$ {+ o) m
Compra la frutta e la mangia. (He buys the fruit and eats it.) ; d$ [' K2 z" M0 v
In a negative sentence, the word non must come before the object pronoun. 5 Q* r/ c) J. [2 Y1 ^/ d' k
Non la mangia. (He doesn’t eat it.)9 o4 d8 O l. j' @( [3 U4 D2 @
Perchè non li inviti? (Why don’t you invite them?)
- ^ [; ]4 @2 VThe object pronoun is attached to the end of an infinitive. Note that the final –e of the infinitive is dropped.
9 F m# n* x" X( U/ qÈ importante mangiarla ogni giorno. (It is important to eat it every day.)1 ^; ^/ B* _ H2 t
È una buon’idea invitarli. It’s a good idea to invite them.
% @. {0 N) X3 Y9 ?( g; t, vIt is possible, but not necessary, to elide singular direct object pronouns in front of verbs that begin with a vowel or forms of avere that begin with an h. However, the plural forms li and le are never elided. - V; u' a' R" h _( w P5 R
M’ama, non m’ama. (Mi ama, non mi ama.). (He loves me, he loves me not.)) p3 a+ v3 ]+ t$ }; `2 f4 Y
Il passaporto? Loro non l’hanno (lo hanno). (The passport? They don’t have it.) / g W" m, W2 _! e! s, p
A few Italian verbs that take a direct object, such as ascoltare, aspettare, cercare, and guardare, correspond to English verbs that are used with prepositions (to listen to to wait for, to look for, to look at).
8 F7 y/ y) W% f/ TChi cerchi? – Cerco il mio ragazzo. Lo cerco già da mezz’ora!
. Z. i4 s9 X' J* E(Who are you looking for? – I’m looking for my boyfriend. I’ve been looking for him for half an hour!)
! y/ d1 Q. e; FObject pronouns are attached to ecco to express here I am, here you are, here he is, and so on. ]+ o H4 ~$ y& c: Y
Dov’è la signorina? – Eccola! (Where is the young woman? – Here she is!)
) @- L7 ^$ P5 f8 N* O' v& WHai trovato le chiavi? – Sì, eccole! (Have you found the keys? – Yes, here they are!) |