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Subject Pronouns

io, tu, lui ... (often dropped)

The subject pronouns

io, tu, lui/lei, noi, voi, loro.

📊 Subject pronouns
Person Singular Plural
1st io noi
2nd tu voi
3rd m lui loro
3rd f lei loro
formal Lei
💬 Examples
io / tu / lui
I / you / he
📝 tu is informal
noi / voi / loro
we / you (pl) / they
📝 voi = plural 'you'
They are often omitted

The verb ending shows the subject, so the pronoun is dropped.

💬 Examples
Sono italiano.
I am Italian.
📝 'io' omitted; 'sono' shows 'I'
Parli inglese?
Do you speak English?
📝 'tu' omitted
Formal you: Lei

Use Lei (capitalized) for politeness; it takes the 3rd-person verb.

💬 Examples
Come sta, signora?
How are you, ma'am?
📝 Lei takes the 3rd-person form
Lei è italiana?
Are you Italian? (formal)
📝 Lei = formal 'you'