Indirect object pronouns are those that can answer the question: “to whom/for whom” or “to what/for what” is the action done? Following are some examples with indirect-object pronouns:
Gli dico la verità
I am telling him the truth.
Le compriamo un bel cappotto.
We are buying her a nice coat.
Following is the full set of indirect-object pronouns:
*Gli is the indirect-object pronoun for both “him” and “them”. Context and syntax will always make it clear who is being referred to. E.g.,
Gli ho scritto due volte ma non mi ha risposto.
I wrote him twice but he didn’t respond.
Gli ho parlato a lungo e mi hanno ascoltato.
I spoke to them at length and they listened to me.
* Note that in written Italian the third-person plural form loro is often used, and it always follows the verb, e.g.,
Ho detto loro di portare una torta.
I told them to bring a cake.
However, in spoken Italian the form gli is much more commonly used, e.g.,
Gli ho scritto un mese fa.
I wrote them one month ago.
Following is an example of how the same sentence can be expressed with the two (indirect-object) pronouns:
Non ho portato loro niente. (More likely to be expressed in written Italian.)
Non gli ho portato niente. (More likely to be expressed in spoken Italian.)
How to identify a verb that requires an indirect object (pronoun)
In Italian a lot of verbs related to speech (dire, parlare, rispondere), and to the passage of something from one person to another (dare, comprare, mandare), take an indirect object. These are similar to the English construction because they often require a preposition, e.g.,
Gli parlo domani. = I am speaking to him tomorrow.
Le mando il pacco domani. = I’m sending the package to her tomorrow.
There are several verbs that are constructed directly in English, but indirectly in Italian. Following are some of the more commonly used ones:
English
To phone
To ask
To advise
To buy
To be interested
To miss
To like
To teach
To believe
Italian
telefonare
chiedere
consigliare
comprare
interessare
mancare
piacere
insegnare
credere
Italian example
Le telefoni? = Are you calling her?
Chiediamogli = Let’s ask him.
Gli hanno consigliato bene = They advised him well.
Le ha comprato una borsa = He bought her a bag.
Le interessano i suoi studi = She’s interested in his work.
Mi manchi = I miss you.
Mi piacciono le tue scarpe. = I like your shoes.
Ci ha insegnato il passato prossimo. = He taught us the p.p.
Non le credo. = I don’t believe her.
On the flip side, there are several verbs that are constructed indirectly in English, but directly in Italian. Following are some of the more commonly used ones:
English
To listen to
To wait for
To look for
To look at
To pay for
To try on
Italian
ascoltare
aspettare
cercare
guardare
pagare
provare
Italian example
Ascolta il suo ipod. = He/she is listening to his/her ipod.
Aspetto un taxi. = I’m waiting for a taxi.
Cerca le chiavi. = He/she is looking for the keys.
Guardiamo la rivista. = We’re looking at the magazine.
Pago il pranzo. = I (will) pay for lunch.
Provi i pantaloni? = Are you trying on the pants?