Double Object Pronouns

7A.3-1

Punto di partenza
You learned how to use direct object pronouns in
Lezione5A and indirect object pronouns in Lezione5B.
Now you will learn how to use these pronouns together.

Compro il vaso per voi.
I’m buying the vase for you.

Ve lo compro.
I’m buying itfor you.

DIRECT
OBJECT

INDIRECT
OBJECT

INDIRECT

OBJECT

PRONOUN

DIRECT
OBJECT
PRONOUN

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7A.3-2

• To use both pronouns in one sentence, place the

indirect object pronoun first, followed by the direct
object pronoun. Note that the -i in mi, ti, ci, and vi
changes to an -e when these pronouns are used in
combination with another pronoun. Le, gli, and le all
combine with the direct object pronouns to form a single
word beginning with glie-.

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7A.3-3

Domenico ti porta una lampada.
Perché te la porta?
Domenico is bringing you a lamp.
Why is he bringing it to you?

Leo mi deve pagare l’affi tto.
Non me lo paga mai in tempo!
Leo needs to pay me the rent. He
never pays it to me on time!

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7A.3-4

• Use context to clarify to whom the indirect object refers.

Maria manda i soldi al figlio.
Glieli manda domani.
Maria is sending money to her son.
She'll send it to him tomorrow.

Il figlio comprerà un tappeto per
lei. Glielo comprerà presto.
Her son is going to buy her a rug.
He’ll buy it for her soon.

Ecco il gelato peri bambini.
Glielo puoi dare in cucina?
Here’s the ice cream for the
kids. Can you give it to them in
the kitchen?

Professore, non Le posso dare i
compiti. Glieli darò domani.
Professor, I can’t give you my
homework. I’ll give it to
you tomorrow.

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7A.3-5

Ti porto i biscotti in soggiorno.
Te ne porto due o tre?
I’ll bring you the cookies in the
living room. Should I bring you
two or three of them?

Leo non mi vuole dare l’affitto.
Deve darmelo! (Melo deve dare!)
Leo doesn’t want to give me the rent.
He has to give it to me!

• Like single object pronouns, double object pronouns

precede conjugated verbs or are attached to
infinitives. When pronouns are attached to the end
of a verb, they form a single word.

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7A.3-6

Ecco il caffè. Non vuole portarloloro Luisa? Lo lascerò loro in cucina.
Here is the coffee. Luisa doesn’t want to bring it to them? I’ll leave it for them
in the kitchen.

• The indirect object pronoun loro can also be used in

double pronoun constructions, but it follows different
rules. Always place loro after the verb and never
attach it to other pronouns. With conjugated verbs,
loro follows the verb and the direct object pronoun
precedes the verb.

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7A.3-7

Lia si rade le gambe ogni giorno.
Se le rade in bagno.
Lia shaves her legs every day. She
shaves them in the bathroom.

Mi lavo i capelli adesso. Non
voglio lavarmeli stasera.
I’m washing my hair now. I don’t
want to wash it tonight.

• Reflexive pronouns follow the pattern of indirect

object pronouns when used in double pronoun
constructions. The reflexive pronoun si changes to
se when adding a direct object pronoun.

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7A.3-8

Ho dato quella poltrona ad Anna.
Gliel’ho data ieri.
I gave that armchair to Anna. I gave
it to her yesterday.

Non si è lavata i capelli oggi.
Se li è lavati ieri.
She didn’t wash her hair today.
She washed it yesterday.

• Remember that when direct object pronouns are

used in the passato prossimo, the past participle
must agree with the direct object.
Double object pronouns ending in -lo
or -la are shortened before a vowel sound.

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7A.3-9

Quanti studenti ci sono?
How many students are there?

Cene sono trenta.
There are thirty of them.

• When the adverb ci (there) is used in combination

with ne, it becomes ce and precedes ne.

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