indirect object pronouns Flashcards
In this unit we will look at “indirect object pronouns”. We use them to answer the question “A chi?” (To whom?) and always put them before the verb. Here are two examples with the regular verb “sembrare” (to seem).
blank
Mi sembra bello!
(It seems nice to me.)
Come ti sembra?
(Lit.: How does it seem to you? / How does it look?)
Choose the Italian words that answer the question “A chi?” (To whom?).
Mi, Ti
Below, the singular indirect object pronouns are in bold. Remember, in a formal context we address people with “lei”, so the formal indirect object pronoun will be “le”.
blank
mi: a me (to me)
ti: a te (to you, singular)
gli: a lui (to him)
le: a lei (to her / to you, formal)
blank
sembrare
to seem
Questo libro mi sembra bello.
This book seems good to me.
Questo libro mi sembra bello.
This book seems good to me.
mi, ti, gli / le
to me, to you, to him / her
blank
La gonna le sembra piccola.
The skirt seems small to her.
Another regular verb we use these pronouns with is “interessare” (to be interested / to have an interest):
blank
Ti interessa la cucina?
(Are you interested in cooking?)
Gli interessano i film giapponesi?
(Is he interested in Japanese films?)
And here are the plural indirect object pronouns.
ci: a noi (to us)
vi: a voi (to you, plural)
gli: a loro (to them)
blank
Come vi sembra?
How does it seem to you? / How does it look?
Ci interessa la storia antica.
We’re interested in ancient history.
Of course, to answer the question “A chi?” we can also use a me, a te, a lui / lei, etc. These are usually placed at the beginning of the sentence, and they are used to emphasise.
blank
Vi interessa il cinema?
(Are you interested in cinema?)
A me interessa, ma a lei no.
(I am interested in it, but she isn’t.)
Sì, mi interessa!
(Yes, I am interested in it!)
We NEVER use both the indirect object pronouns and “a me”, “a te”, “a lui / lei”, etc. It’s either one or the other!
blank
“A me interessa…” OR “Mi interessa…”
“A te sembra…” OR “Ti sembra…”
NEVER: “A me mi interessa…”
blank
