Italian Double Object Pronouns: Me Lo, Te La, Glielo — Explained
You already know that Italian has indirect pronouns (mi, ti, gli, le…) and direct pronouns (lo, la, li, le…). But what happens when you need both in the same sentence? That's where double object pronouns come in — and where many learners get stuck. The good news: once you see the pattern, it all clicks into place and these compact blocks become second nature.
In English you say 'I gave it to him.' Italian says the same thing in one compact block: 'Gliel'ho dato.' Both pronouns come before the verb (or attach to infinitives), and the indirect pronoun always comes first — but it changes form before meeting the direct pronoun.
Indirect Pronoun Changes Before Direct Pronouns
| Original | Before lo/la/li/le/ne | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| mi | me | to me |
| ti | te | to you (informal) |
| gli / le | glie- | to him / to her / to them |
| ci | ce | to us |
| vi | ve | to you (plural) |
| gli (loro) | glie- | to them |
The indirect pronoun shifts to its 'stressed' form (me, te, ce, ve) before combining with lo, la, li, le, or ne. The combination 'glie-' is unique: gli and le both merge into 'glie-' and then fuse with the direct pronoun into a single written word — glielo, gliela, glieli, gliele, gliene.
All Double Object Pronoun Combinations
| Indirect + Direct | Combined Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| mi + lo | me lo | Me lo dai? — Will you give it to me? |
| mi + la | me la | Me la mandi. — Send it to me. |
| mi + li | me li | Me li ha portati. — He brought them to me. |
| ti + lo | te lo | Te lo spiego. — I'll explain it to you. |
| gli/le + lo | glielo | Glielo dico. — I'll tell him/her it. |
| gli/le + la | gliela | Gliela do. — I'm giving it to him/her. |
| ci + lo | ce lo | Ce lo ha detto. — He told it to us. |
| vi + la | ve la | Ve la mando domani. — I'll send it to you tomorrow. |
Real Sentences in Action
Puoi prestarmelo?
Can you lend it to me? (pronoun attached to infinitive)
Te lo prometto.
I promise it to you.
Glielo abbiamo spiegato ieri.
We explained it to him/her yesterday.
Ce ne sono tre rimasti.
There are three of them left for us.
Mandamela subito!
Send it to me right away! (imperative)
Ve li restituisco domani.
I'll give them back to you tomorrow.
With passato prossimo (and other compound tenses), both pronouns still come before the auxiliary verb. The past participle agrees with the direct object pronoun: 'Me la hai mandata' (You sent it to me) — 'mandata' is feminine because 'la' refers to a feminine noun.
When the main verb is an infinitive or an informal imperative, the pronouns attach to the end as a single block. Drop the final -e of the infinitive: 'darmela' (to give it to me), 'dimmelo' (tell it to me). With single-syllable imperatives (da', di', fa', sta', va'), double the first consonant of the pronoun: 'dammela', 'dimmi' → 'dimmelo'.
Common double pronoun sentences to memorise
Te lo dico subito — non ci vengo. — I'll tell you right away — I'm not going.
Glielo mando domani per email. — I'll send it to him tomorrow by email.
Me lo puoi spiegare ancora una volta? — Can you explain it to me one more time?
Ce l'hai fatta! — You did it! (farcela = to manage, succeed)
Double pronouns in typical conversations
Mi dai la ricetta? — Te la mando stasera.
Will you give me the recipe? — I'll send it to you tonight.
Hai detto la verità a Marco? — Sì, gliela ho detta ieri.
Did you tell Marco the truth? — Yes, I told it to him yesterday.
Puoi prestarmi la macchina? — Te la presto volentieri.
Can you lend me the car? — I'm happy to lend it to you.
Chi ti ha insegnato questa parola? — Me l'ha insegnata il mio professore.
Who taught you this word? — My teacher taught it to me.
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