A direct object is the direct recipient of the action of a verb. Direct object pronouns replace direct object nouns. In Italian the forms of the direct object pronouns (i pronomi diretti) are as follows:
| Persons | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| 1st. person | mi » me | ci » us |
| 2nd. person familiar | ti » you | vi » you |
| 2nd. person polite* | La » you (m. and f.) | Li » You (m.) |
| Le » You (f.) | ||
| 3rd. person | lo » him, it | li » them (m.) |
| la » her it | le » them (f.) |
These pronouns are used as follows:
1 They stand immediately before the verb or the auxiliary verb in the compound tenses. Examples:
In a negative sentence, the word non must come before the object pronoun.
2 The object pronoun is attached to the end of an infinitive. Note that the final –e of the infinitive is dropped.
3 The Object pronouns are attached to ecco to express here I am, here you are, here he is, and so on.
4. The pronouns lo and la are often shortened to l'.
(*) Note that second person polite form pronouns are capitalized.