In this lesson on "I pronomi combinati," you will learn how to combine indirect and direct object pronouns like "mi" to "me" and "lo" to create forms such as "me lo" or "gliela." Master the placement before verbs and their fusion before vowels for fluent Italian conversation.
- They are formed with the formula: indirect pronoun + direct pronoun.
- The pronouns mi, ti, ci, vi become me, te, ce, ve.
- Combined pronouns are always placed before the verb.
| Pronome indiretto (Indirect pronoun) | Pronome diretto | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| + Lo (+ It) | +La (+Her) | + Li | + Le | |
| Mi (Me) | Me lo (Me it) | Me la (Me her) | Me li (Me them) | Me le (Me her) |
| Ti (You) | Te lo (You) | Te la (You (familiar singular) it (feminine singular)) | Te li (You (singular) them) | Te le (I you) |
| Gli / le (To him / to her) | Glielo (Glielo) | Gliela (Gliela) | Glieli (Glieli) | Gliele (Those) |
| Ci (Us) | Ce lo (It to us) | Ce la (Ce la) | Ce li (These them) | Ce le (What do you want from me?) |
| Vi (Ve) | Ve lo (I'll see it to you) | Ve la (See her) | Ve li (Ve li) | Ve le (See them) |
| Gli | Glielo (Glielo) | Gliela (Gliela) | Glieli (Glieli) | Gliele (Those) |
Exceptions!
- Combined pronouns attach to the verb when it is in the infinitive form. Example: Marco mi vuole dare un libro -> vuole darmelo
- In front of words that begin with a vowel or "h", lo, la become l': me l', te l', ce l', ve l', gliel'.
Exercise 1: I pronomi combinati
Instruction: Fill in the correct word.
portarcele, Glieli, Me lo, darveli, Te la, ve lo, Ce le
1.
Dare + vi + li:
Voglio ... appena torno dal centro commerciale.
(Voglio darveli appena torno dal centro commerciale.)
2.
Vi + lo:
Il macellaio ... porta subito.
(Il macellaio ve lo porta subito.)
3.
Gli + li:
... ho mostrati con calma.
(Glieli ho mostrati con calma.)
4.
Ti + la:
... mostro ora la cartolina.
(Te la mostro ora la cartolina.)
5.
Mi + lo:
... dai ora che sono al centro commerciale?
(Me lo dai ora che sono al centro commerciale?)
6.
Ci + le:
... hanno mandate ieri.
(Ce le hanno mandate ieri.)
7.
Mi + lo:
... puoi portare, per favore?
(Me lo puoi portare, per favore?)
8.
Portare + ci + le:
Ci servono subito, puoi ... oggi?
(Ci servono subito, puoi portarcele oggi?)
Exercise 2: Multiple Choice
Instruction: Choose the correct sentence that appropriately uses combined pronouns in everyday contexts, especially related to local services and shops.
1.
Incorrect order of pronouns; the correct form is 'me lo dà', without separating the pronouns.
Error in the accent on 'dà' and incorrect order of pronouns ('mi da lo' instead of 'me lo dà').
2.
Error in the order of combined pronouns; it must be indirect pronoun + direct pronoun, so 'te la porto'.
Incorrect order of pronouns ('ti la' instead of 'te la') and preposition 'for' is not suitable for this context.
3.
Error in the indirect pronoun which does not change to 'ce' before a vowel, and incorrect order of pronouns.
Incorrect pronoun use; for the third person plural 'glielo' is used, while 'ce l'' is correct before a vowel.
4.
Pronouns not correctly combined: 'gli lo' must join into 'glielo' and be placed before the verb.
Incorrect order of pronouns; 'lo' and 'gli' must join forming 'glielo'.
