Placement of direct and indirect object pronouns
Direct and indirect object pronouns go:
1) Before the verb, usually:
Non lo conosco.
I don't know him.
Le ho mandato una cartolina.
I sent her a postcard.
2) After the verb, and attached to it to form a single word, in the following cases:
- With an infinitive. When this happens we drop the -e from the end of the verb.
Mi piace guardarvi.
I like looking at you.
Preferisco incontrarti al ristorante.
I'd prefer to meet you at the restaurant.
- With a gerund (verb form that ends in -ndo):
Guardandovi, penso alla mia gioventù.
Looking at you, I think of my younger days.
Pensandoci, hai ragione.
Thinking about it, you're right.
- After the adverb ecco (here you go):
Eccoci qua.
Here we are.
Eccomi arrivato.
I've arrived (literally “Here I am arrived”).
3) Either before or after:
- With an affirmative imperative (before with lui/lei/loro, he/she/they/formal “you”, and after with the other grammatical persons).
(Tu) compralo!
(Informal “you”) Buy it!
(Lei) lo compri!
(Formal “you”) Buy it!
- With a negative imperative (you can choose where to place it without changing the meaning and regardless of the grammatical person).
Non mi telefonare!
Don't call me!
Non telefonarmi!
Don't call me!
- With the phrase stare per (to be about to) + infinitive or a modal verb (volere, to want to; potere, to be able to; dovere, to have to, etc.) + infinitive, either before the conjugated verb or attached to the end of the infinitive verb:
Ti sto per chiamare/Sto per chiamarti.
I'm about to call you.
Vi dovevo informare/Dovevo informarvi.
I had to inform you.
Note: loro always goes after the verb when it's used to mean “to them”.
Hai portato loro le uova?
Did you take them the eggs?
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