29
Position of personal pronouns
Except in a few cases, the pronoun objects given in the previous section precede the verb.
Lo conosco. — I know him.
Ci chiamano. — They are calling us.
La conoscete? — Do you know her?
NOTE: When the verb begins with a vowel, the pronouns mi, ti, lo, and la (others less commonly) often drop their final vowel and take an apostrophe.
Egli t’ammira. — He admires you.
Essa m’ascolta. — She listens to me.
One of the exceptions to the rule stated above (personal pronouns preceding the verb) is that of the object of an infinitive. In that case the pronoun object follows the infinitive and is written as one word with it, after the final –e of the infinitive is dropped. (This is identical to what happens with reflexive pronouns.)
Desidero (di) conoscerli. — I wish to know (meet) them.
Egli promette di farlo. — He promises to do it.
Vado al cinema per divertirmi. — I go to the movies to have a good time.
VOCABULARY A
Review the items you know, and learn the rest.
| ascoltare to listen (to) |
chiamare to call |
chiamarsi to be called |
comprare to buy |
| conoscere to know |
guardare to look (at) |
mangiare to eat |
mostrare to show |
| trovare to find |
VOCABULARY B
| aderire (a) to join |
affrontato
facing |
anziano elderly |
aprire to open |
| a seconda di according to |
attitudine aptitude (cf. atteggiamento, attitude) |
carcere (m.) prison |
compiere (also compire) to fulfill |
| deve must (3d. sing. pres., dovere) |
devono must (3d. pl. pres., dovere) |
dunque therefore |
impresa undertaking |
| incremento betterment |
mancare di to lack |
mille (pl., mila) thousand |
non […] più no more, no longer |
| peccato sin |
poi then |
sacerdote (m.) priest |
scopo aim, intention |
| sessanta sixty |
speditezza quickness, promptness |
stabilire to establish (cf. stabilizzare, to stabilize) |
straniero foreign |
| sviluppo development |
ugualmente equally |