Subject pronouns
The Italian words for I, you, he, she, we and they — and why you usually leave them out.
The subject pronouns are io (I), tu (you, informal singular), lui (he), lei (she), noi (we), voi (you, plural) and loro (they). Unlike English, Italian normally drops the pronoun because the verb ending already shows who is acting: parlo can only mean I speak.
Use the pronoun when you want emphasis or contrast: Io parlo italiano, ma lui parla solo inglese (I speak Italian, but he only speaks English).
For polite address to one person, Italian uses Lei (written with a capital L in careful writing) with the third-person singular verb: Lei parla inglese? (Do you speak English?, formal). For formal plural address, voi is the safe everyday choice.
Lui and lei refer to people; for things, Italians usually omit the pronoun altogether rather than saying it.
Examples
- Parlo italiano. I speak Italian. Listen in Italian: Slow in Italian: Parlo italiano.
- Tu parli inglese? Do you speak English? (informal) Listen in Italian: Slow in Italian: Tu parli inglese?
- Lei parla inglese? Do you speak English? (formal) Listen in Italian: Slow in Italian: Lei parla inglese?
- Noi abitiamo a Roma, loro abitano a Milano. We live in Rome, they live in Milan. Listen in Italian: Slow in Italian: Noi abitiamo a Roma, loro abitano a Milano.
- Io studio, tu lavori. I study, you work. Listen in Italian: Slow in Italian: Io studio, tu lavori.
Common mistake
Saying io in every sentence (Io parlo, io mangio, io abito) — it sounds like constant self-emphasis. Drop the pronoun unless you are contrasting people.