Lesson 26 of 40 · win the Message Runner badge
Gli scrivo, le telefono — i pronomi indiretti
Indirect object pronouns
You've got letters, calls and gifts to deliver to everyone in town — but only if you can say WHO gets what, without naming them twice.
🎯 By the end you can…
- Use mi, ti, gli, le, ci, vi correctly
- Tell someone you gave, wrote or said something to someone else
- Distinguish direct from indirect objects
🎬 Listen to the scene
Tap a line to hear it, then say it back louder than Luna barks.
Did you write to your grandmother?
Yes, I wrote her a very long letter.
And what do you say to Luna when she's naughty?
I say 'no' to her but she never listens to me.
🔑 Indirect object pronouns — to/for someone
| Italian | English |
|---|---|
| mi | to me |
| ti | to you |
| gli / le | to him / to her |
| ci | to us |
| vi | to you all |
| gli | to them |
Adam's tip: Used with verbs like dare, dire, scrivere, telefonare, chiedere, rispondere — verbs where you do something FOR or TO someone.
🧩 Direct vs indirect: a quick test
- Direct: vedo CHI/CHE COSA → lo, la, li, le
- Indirect: parlo A CHI → gli, le, mi, ti, ci, vi
- Chiamo Luna (direct, la) vs telefono a Luna (indirect, le)
🤯 Wow fact
Gli and le look tiny, but they mean 'to him' and 'to her' — Italian saves whole words by shrinking them down to two letters.
🗣️ Say it fast, say it silly
Gli scrivo, le telefono, ci parlano sempre!
Three times in a row without tripping = you win.
🧠 Puzzle time
Answer in your head first, then tap to check. 0 of 6 checked
Choose the right indirect pronoun.
Direct or indirect? Choose the pronoun.
😂 Barzelletta — Luna's joke
Cosa dice Adam a Luna quando ruba i biscotti?
🚀 Your mission today
Say who you'd write to, call, or give a gift to today, using gli, le, mi, ti or ci.
🎲 Play it with someone
Who do you tell?
Students say what they'd tell different people about a secret: «Alla mamma non dico niente, all'amico gli dico tutto.»
Letters to Luna
In pairs, write three short sentences about what you give or say to Luna, your friend, and your teacher, using indirect pronouns.
For teachers & grown-ups
Watch for confusion between direct lo/la and indirect gli/le — it's the classic B1 trap.
🧪 End-of-lesson quiz
Eight quick questions. Get 6 right to win the Message Runner badge.
This lesson belongs to Unit 9 — Everyday routines. Pass every quiz in the unit — and know 1300 words — to be promoted to the next level.
💪 Keep the streak going
- Flashcards, Set 32 — family and friends
- Write three sentences about what you say to three different people
Word sets for this lesson
