Determining Implied Subject Pronouns in Italian

Unlike English, Italian often implies subject pronouns.

For example, in Italian, you can say “Io ho molto freddo questa mattina” (I’m very cold this morning). However, unless you’re emphasizing “Io,” for some reason, people would simply say, “Ho molto freddo questa mattina,” omitting the subject “Io.”

Ha molto freddo. (She’s very cold.)

In English, you couldn’t just say, “Is very cold this morning”; you need the “She.”

Because of this difference, even English speakers who are proficient in Italian tend to overuse pronouns. To sound more natural in Italian, drop subject pronouns unless needed for clarity.

How to Identify the Subject from the Conjugation

If you’re new to Italian, you may wonder how to identify the subject without the pronoun. The answer lies in the verb conjugation, and in a few ambiguous cases, in the context of the conversation.

Let’s look at some examples:

• Andrò a Milano (I’ll go to Milan)

• Faccio i compiti (I’m doing my homework)

These are equivalent to “Io andrò a Milano” and “Io faccio i compiti” because andrò is the first-person simple future of andare (to go), and faccio is the first-person present of fare (to do). They cannot mean “Tu andrò” or “Tu faccio” because the correct conjugation would be “Tu andrai” and “Tu fai,” respectively.

Similarly:

• Vai di fretta! (You’re in a hurry!)

• Hai perso il portafoglio? (Have you lost your wallet?)

Here, vai is the second-person singular form of andare, so the first sentence is equivalent to “Tu vai di fretta!” Likewise, Hai perso is the second-person singular of avere in the present perfect, so it’s equivalent to “Tu hai perso il portafoglio?”

Dealing with Ambiguity

Sometimes, the lack of pronouns can lead to ambiguity. For example:

• Sono contento

• Sono contenti

The verb doesn’t clarify the subject. It could be “Io sono” or “Loro sono,” but contento indicates it’s a singular subject, making it “Io sono contento” (I’m happy). Since contenti is plural, it must be “Loro sono contenti.”

On occasion, ambiguity remains:

• Sono a casa (I’m home)

• Sono a casa (They are home)

The sentence alone doesn’t clarify the subject, so you’ll need context to know whether the speaker is talking about themselves or others.

In cases where omitting the pronoun might lead to confusion, it’s perfectly acceptable to include it, as in “Io sono a casa.”

Exercises

Determine the implied pronoun: Io, Tu, Lui/Lei, Noi, Voi, or Loro. The answers are provided to premium subscribers below the fold.

1. ___ sono stanco morto!

2. ___ lavori durante il weekend?

3. ___ abbiamo fatto una lunga passeggiata ieri.

4. ___ hanno già finito i compiti.

5. ___ abita accanto alla questura.

6. ___ prendete sempre il caffè a colazione?

7. ___ sono pronti per la festa!

8. ___ parto domani per un viaggio.

9. ___ fai sport nel tempo libero?