🔍 In short. The italian loro indirect object pronoun means “to them” and behaves unlike every other unstressed pronoun in the language: it sits after the verb, not before. Ho scritto loro una lettera = “I wrote them a letter”. In everyday speech, Italians almost always replace it with gli (Gli ho scritto una lettera), but loro remains the form expected in formal writing, business correspondence, legal documents, and careful journalistic prose. This B2 guide covers when loro is the right call, where it goes in the sentence, how it differs from the colloquial gli, and why mixing the two registers can flag your writing as informal in contexts that demand the opposite.
The choice between the italian loro indirect object and its colloquial cousin gli is one of the most reliable markers of register in modern Italian. By the end of this guide you will know which form belongs where, and you will stop second-guessing the position of the italian loro indirect object in the sentence.
Cosa impareremo oggi
👆🏻 Jump to section
- Three different words spelled loro
- What the italian loro indirect object is
- Where loro goes: always after the verb
- Loro vs gli: the register split
- Loro in compound tenses
- Loro never combines with other clitics
- When loro is still the right choice
- A loro: the stressed alternative
- Cheat sheet: loro vs gli at a glance
- Dialog: drafting a letter in Pordenone
- Three mistakes English speakers make
- Frequently asked questions
- Related guides
Three different words spelled loro
Before anything else, sort out the three jobs that one little word does in Italian. The italian loro indirect object is only one of them, and the most easily confused.
- Subject loro = “they”. Loro arrivano stasera.
They are arriving tonight. - Possessive loro = “their, theirs”. La loro casa è in centro.
Their house is downtown. - Indirect object loro = “to them”. Ho già spiegato loro il problema.
I have already explained the problem to them.
The same four letters carry three grammatical jobs, and only one of them, the italian loro indirect object, is the focus of this guide. The subject form sits before the verb, the possessive sits next to a noun, and the italian loro indirect object sits after the verb. That last placement is the part that surprises learners, because every other unstressed object pronoun in Italian goes the other way around. Keep this distinction in mind as you read on: when this guide says loro, it always means the indirect object “to them”.
What the italian loro indirect object is
Picture an avvocato in Pordenone drafting a letter to a group of clients, with the italian loro indirect object slipping naturally into the opening line. The first sentence opens with scriviamo loro per confermare l’accordo: “we are writing to them to confirm the agreement”. That loro is the italian loro indirect object. It does the same job as the English phrase “to them”, but it is a single word with no preposition, and it sits in a place where English would put a noun phrase.
- Abbiamo inviato loro il preventivo questa mattina.
We sent them the estimate this morning. - Comunicheremo loro la decisione entro venerdì.
We will communicate the decision to them by Friday. - L’azienda offre loro un contratto a tempo indeterminato.
The company offers them a permanent contract. - Spiegherò loro le condizioni di pagamento di persona.
I will explain the payment terms to them in person.
In each sentence, loro stands for a group of people who receive something: the estimate, the decision, the contract, the explanation. Grammatically, it is a third-person plural indirect object pronoun, the formal counterpart of the everyday gli. Because it is also a stressed (tonic) word, it carries its own beat in the sentence and behaves more like a noun than like a clitic, which is why its position is fixed after the verb rather than glued to it.
Where loro goes: always after the verb
This is the rule that catches every English speaker the first time around: the italian loro indirect object sits after the verb, full stop. Other unstressed pronouns hop in front (mi scrivi, ti dico, le parlo, ci aiuta), but loro stays behind. Move it before the verb and the sentence stops sounding Italian.
- Scriviamo loro una lettera.
We are writing them a letter. (not loro scriviamo) - Telefono loro ogni martedì.
I phone them every Tuesday. (not loro telefono) - L’agenzia consiglia loro un investimento prudente.
The agency recommends a cautious investment to them. - Il notaio leggerà loro il testamento martedì.
The notary will read the will to them on Tuesday.
The reason is structural. Loro is bisyllabic, which makes it stressed (tonic), while mi, ti, gli, le, ci, vi are monosyllabic and unstressed (atonic). Atonic pronouns lean on the verb and slot in front of it; tonic loro stands on its own two feet and follows. As Treccani puts it bluntly, loro “dev’essere sempre posto dopo il verbo” (must always be placed after the verb). There is no exception in modern Italian outside very formal pre-participial uses that read as archaic today.
🔍 The one rule that matters. The italian loro indirect object always follows the verb, never precedes it. Scrivo loro is correct; loro scrivo is not. Train your ear by reading the verb first and tucking loro right behind it, like a shadow.
Loro vs gli: the register split
Modern Italian has effectively split the italian loro indirect object function between two forms. Loro belongs to formal written Italian: contracts, business letters, legal documents, journalism, academic prose. Gli has taken over almost everywhere else, including news broadcasts, novels, blog posts, and any kind of spoken exchange. Both are grammatically acceptable today, but the registers are clearly separated.
- Formal: Abbiamo comunicato loro la decisione del consiglio.
We have communicated the board’s decision to them. - Colloquial: Gli abbiamo comunicato la decisione del consiglio.
We told them the board’s decision. - Formal: Chiederemo loro un parere tecnico.
We will ask them for a technical opinion. - Colloquial: Gli chiederemo un parere tecnico.
We’ll ask them for a technical opinion.
The Accademia della Crusca discusses this register split openly and concludes that gli for loro is to be considered correct, except perhaps in highly formal registers. Treccani’s vocabolario entry notes that in everyday speech, especially when there is no ambiguity, people say ditegli instead of the formal dite loro. In other words, the language has not exiled loro; it has assigned it to a specific register. If you are writing a business email, a cover letter, or a legal communication, loro still earns its keep.
Loro in compound tenses
In compound tenses (passato prossimo, trapassato, futuro anteriore, conditional past), the italian loro indirect object goes after the past participle, not between the auxiliary and the participle. This is one more position rule for the italian loro indirect object that catches learners off guard.
- Ho scritto loro due settimane fa.
I wrote to them two weeks ago. (not ho loro scritto) - Avremo inviato loro il contratto entro lunedì.
We will have sent them the contract by Monday. - Il direttore aveva promesso loro un aumento per gennaio.
The director had promised them a raise for January. - Avrei spiegato loro tutto, se mi avessero ascoltato.
I would have explained everything to them, if they had listened to me.
You may occasionally come across the literary type ho loro detto, with the pronoun between auxiliary and participle, in nineteenth-century novels or in very high formal prose. Treat it as a fossil: nobody writes that way today. The standard position in compound tenses is firmly after the participle. The colloquial alternative with gli, of course, plants the pronoun before the auxiliary: gli ho scritto, gli avremo inviato, gli aveva promesso, gli avrei spiegato. Same meaning, different register, opposite position.
🎯 Mini-task #1. Place loro (formal) in the correct position. Then rewrite each sentence with gli (colloquial).
- (Inviare) ___ il preventivo entro stasera.
- L’avvocato (ha spiegato) ___ il contratto in dettaglio.
- (Chiederemo) ___ un appuntamento la settimana prossima.
- Il direttore (avrebbe consigliato) ___ una strategia più cauta.
- (Stiamo preparando) ___ una risposta scritta.
👉 Show answers
1. Invio loro il preventivo · Gli invio il preventivo · 2. L’avvocato ha spiegato loro il contratto · L’avvocato gli ha spiegato il contratto · 3. Chiederemo loro un appuntamento · Gli chiederemo un appuntamento · 4. Il direttore avrebbe consigliato loro una strategia · Il direttore gli avrebbe consigliato una strategia · 5. Stiamo preparando loro una risposta · Gli stiamo preparando una risposta
Loro never combines with other clitics
Unstressed pronouns in Italian love to cluster: glielo, me ne, te la, ce lo. The italian loro indirect object refuses to play that game and stays apart from the cluster. Because loro is stressed and follows the verb, it cannot merge with a direct object pronoun the way gli can. Instead, the direct object pronoun goes in its usual spot, and loro trails behind.
- Lo abbiamo spedito loro ieri mattina.
We sent it to them yesterday morning. (colloquial: glielo abbiamo spedito) - La consegneremo loro di persona.
We will deliver it to them in person. (colloquial: gliela consegneremo) - Ne offriremo loro un campione gratuito.
We will offer them a free sample of it. (colloquial: gliene offriremo) - Le ho mostrate loro durante la riunione.
I showed them to them during the meeting. (colloquial: gliele ho mostrate)
Notice how the two registers split the work. The formal version keeps the direct object pronoun in its usual position before the verb and parks loro after the verb. The colloquial version fuses everything into a single glie- compound before the verb. Both are correct; they belong to different settings. A business email almost certainly uses the formal split; a text message almost certainly uses the compound.
When loro is still the right choice
Even with gli winning ground every year, there are contexts in which the italian loro indirect object remains the natural and expected form. Knowing them helps you sound polished without sounding old-fashioned.
- Business correspondence: Vi confermiamo di aver inviato loro tutti i documenti richiesti.
- Legal documents: Le parti dichiarano di aver concesso loro pieni poteri di rappresentanza.
- Academic prose: L’analisi che segue mostra come l’istituto abbia garantito loro un trattamento equo.
- Journalistic writing: Le autorità non hanno mai comunicato loro le ragioni del fermo.
- Disambiguation: when the previous sentence mentioned both a singular and a plural referent, loro removes any doubt that you mean the plural.
That last point matters more than it looks. Because colloquial gli is identical to the masculine singular gli (“to him”), in writing the plural can be ambiguous. Switching to loro immediately disambiguates: there is no way to read it as singular. Careful writers exploit this fact to keep their prose unambiguous even when the surrounding context is dense with characters and pronouns.
A loro: the stressed alternative
Beyond the italian loro indirect object and the colloquial gli, Italian has a third option for “to them”: the prepositional phrase a loro. This is the heavily stressed, contrastive form. It is the one you reach for when you want to single the plural out, to emphasise it against another group, or to put it in a position other than directly next to the verb.
- A loro non ho ancora scritto, ma agli altri sì.
I haven’t written to them yet, but I have to the others. - Il regalo migliore lo abbiamo riservato proprio a loro.
We kept the best gift just for them. - A loro interessava solo la parte economica del contratto.
For them, only the financial part of the contract mattered.
So you now have three distinct tools. Use loro after the verb in formal writing; use gli before the verb in everyday speech and informal writing; use a loro when you need contrast, emphasis, or a position away from the verb. Each form has its territory, and switching among the italian loro indirect object, gli, and a loro with ease is one of the marks of an advanced speaker.
Cheat sheet: loro vs gli at a glance
One table for the whole choice. Keep it open while you draft your next email in Italian and you need to pick between the italian loro indirect object, its colloquial cousin, or the stressed variant.
| Feature | loro (formal) | gli (colloquial) | a loro (stressed) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meaning | to them | to them (also to him) | to them (emphatic) |
| Position | after the verb | before the verb | flexible |
| Register | formal written | spoken / informal | any, with stress |
| Combines with clitics | no | yes (glielo, gliene) | no |
| Gender distinction | none | none | none |
| Example (present) | scrivo loro | gli scrivo | scrivo a loro |
| Example (compound) | ho scritto loro | gli ho scritto | ho scritto a loro |
| Example with direct obj. | lo dirò loro | glielo dirò | lo dirò a loro |
| Typical context | business letter, contract | chat, email to friends | contrast, emphasis |
Dialog: drafting a letter in Pordenone
Aurora and Gabriele work at a small studio legale in Pordenone. They are revising a formal letter to a group of clients before it goes out, and the italian loro indirect object appears in every paragraph of the draft. Watch how Aurora insists on the formal loro in the written text, while Gabriele slips into colloquial gli when they talk shop.
👩🏻🦳 Aurora: Gabriele, ho buttato giù la bozza per i clienti del fascicolo Rinaldi. Vorrei rileggerla con te prima di stamparla.
👨🏼🦰 Gabriele: Volentieri. Allora, gli hai già scritto del rinvio dell’udienza?
👩🏻🦳 Aurora: Sì, ma nella lettera ho scritto “Comunichiamo loro che l’udienza è stata rinviata al quindici giugno”. In un documento ufficiale preferisco evitare gli.
👨🏼🦰 Gabriele: Hai ragione, suona molto più professionale. E poi, parliamo di tre clienti diversi: con gli qualcuno potrebbe pensare a un singolo destinatario.
👩🏻🦳 Aurora: Esatto. Senti, ho aggiunto anche un paragrafo sul rimborso spese. Ho scritto “Restituiremo loro l’anticipo versato entro trenta giorni”. Va bene così o suona troppo asciutto?
👨🏼🦰 Gabriele: Mi sembra perfetto. Magari aggiungerei una frase di chiusura, qualcosa tipo “Restiamo a disposizione per fornire loro ogni chiarimento”. È la formula classica.
👩🏻🦳 Aurora: Ottima idea, la inserisco subito. Quando li sentirai al telefono potrai dirgli a voce le stesse cose in modo più informale.
👨🏼🦰 Gabriele: Esatto, al telefono gli spiegherò io anche la questione della cauzione. Per iscritto invece il loro regge meglio, dà un altro peso al documento.
👩🏻🦳 Aurora: Allora stampiamo. Se vuoi controllare ancora una volta i riferimenti normativi prima della firma, fai pure.
👨🏼🦰 Gabriele: Faccio in cinque minuti, poi te la riporto firmata.
Notice the split between the spoken exchange and the quoted written passages. Aurora and Gabriele talk to each other with gli: gli hai già scritto, dirgli a voce, gli spiegherò io. The text of the letter, however, uses loro at every turn: comunichiamo loro, restituiremo loro, fornire loro. The choice is automatic for the two professionals, and it is the same instinct you want to develop with the italian loro indirect object: gli when speaking, loro when drafting anything that will be read on paper.
Three mistakes English speakers make
Three slips give away learners every time when they reach for the italian loro indirect object. Fix these and your handling of the italian loro indirect object will look native at B2.
Mistake 1. Putting loro before the verb. Wrong: Loro ho scritto una lettera. Correct: Ho scritto loro una lettera. The position after the verb is non-negotiable. If you want the pronoun before the verb, you must switch to gli: gli ho scritto una lettera.
Mistake 2. Attaching loro to the verb like a clitic. Wrong: Scriveròloro domani. Correct: Scriverò loro domani. Unlike mi, ti, gli, ci, vi, the italian loro indirect object is always written as a separate word, never glued to the verb or to another pronoun.
Mistake 3. Mixing loro and gli in the same register. Wrong: in a formal letter, Abbiamo già scritto loro, ma gli risponderemo di nuovo domani. The two forms belong to different registers; once you pick formal, stay formal: Abbiamo già scritto loro, ma risponderemo loro di nuovo domani. A casual context permits the opposite consistency: Gli abbiamo già scritto, ma gli risponderemo di nuovo domani.
🎯 Mini-challenge. Write three sentences for a formal business email to a group of suppliers, using the italian loro indirect object after the verb. Then rewrite the same three sentences in informal Italian, using gli before the verb. Read both versions aloud and notice the difference in tone. Bonus: add one sentence using a loro for emphasis.
Test your understanding
Take the quiz below to test what you’ve learned about the italian loro indirect object.
(Quiz coming soon)
Frequently asked questions
These six questions about the italian loro indirect object come up in every B2 cohort. The register split is documented in Treccani’s vocabolario entry on loro and in the Accademia della Crusca consulenza on gli replacing loro.
Is it wrong to say gli ho detto when I mean I told them?
No, it is not wrong. Both the Accademia della Crusca and Treccani consider gli for plural acceptable in almost all registers except the most formal written ones. Gli ho detto is the natural everyday form in spoken Italian and in casual writing. The formal alternative ho detto loro is preferred in business correspondence, legal documents, and journalistic prose. The two forms coexist, with a clear register split: gli for spoken and informal, loro for formal written.
Where exactly does loro go in the sentence?
Always after the verb, never before it. In simple tenses: scrivo loro, telefono loro, parliamo loro. In compound tenses, after the past participle: ho scritto loro, abbiamo telefonato loro, avrebbero parlato loro. The position is fixed because loro is bisyllabic and tonic, unlike the other unstressed object pronouns (mi, ti, gli, le, ci, vi) that lean on the verb and precede it. Treccani states the rule plainly: loro deve essere sempre posto dopo il verbo.
Can I attach loro to the verb like dirloro or scriveroloro?
No, never. The italian loro indirect object is always written as a separate word, no exceptions. Other unstressed pronouns can fuse with the verb in infinitives, gerunds, and imperatives (dirgli, scrivendogli, scrivigli), but loro stays detached: dire loro, scrivendo loro, scrivete loro. This gives you a simple test for the right form: if you find yourself wanting to write loro as part of the verb, switch to gli instead.
What is the difference between loro and a loro?
Loro is the unstressed indirect object pronoun that sits after the verb: ho scritto loro. A loro is the stressed prepositional phrase that you use for emphasis, contrast, or in positions away from the verb: a loro non ho ancora scritto, ma agli altri si. Both mean to them, but a loro carries heavy stress and contrastive weight, while plain loro is the neutral form. A loro is also the only choice after a preposition or when the pronoun is dislocated to the beginning of the sentence.
Does loro change for feminine plural?
No, loro is invariable. The same form covers masculine plural, feminine plural, and mixed groups. Ho scritto loro works for three men, three women, or a mixed group, with no change in form. This is identical to colloquial gli, which is also invariable when it replaces loro. The lack of gender marking is one of the features that has helped gli take over from loro in spoken usage: speakers no longer need a separate feminine plural form, since gli covers everything.
Is loro still used today or is it disappearing from the language?
It is alive and well in formal written Italian. Business letters, contracts, legal documents, academic prose, and quality journalism all continue to use loro after the verb. What has happened is a register split rather than a disappearance: gli has taken over the spoken language and informal writing, while loro has retreated to formal contexts where it remains the expected form. A reader who finds loro in a contract will not blink; a reader who finds gli in the same contract may notice that the register has dropped.
Ready for the next step?
All our classes are live on Zoom with a native Italian teacher, in small groups. If this lesson matches your level, take it further with real practice.
Quattro Chiacchiere
Corso di gruppo B2-C1 · in diretta su Zoom
Immersione totale in italiano con un insegnante madrelingua. Solo in italiano, niente inglese: lettura, conversazione e sfumature della lingua reale.
- Piccoli gruppi, massimo 4 studenti — lezioni settimanali su Zoom
- Lettura, vocabolario, grammatica e ascolto, tutto in italiano
- Cicli di 4 lezioni, ci si può unire in qualsiasi momento
- Compiti dopo ogni lezione, corretti dal tuo insegnante
Individual classes
One-to-one · any level · live on Zoom
Private lessons with your dedicated native Italian teacher, fully tailored to your goals and schedule, from absolute beginner to advanced.
- 55-minute individual Zoom lessons, your dedicated teacher
- Personalised level assessment included
- Interactive online materials — homework after each lesson
- Flexible weekly schedule or pay-as-you-go package
Related guides
Three guides that pair well with the italian loro indirect object, plus an institutional reference on pronoun usage.
- Italian Pronouns with Modal Verbs: clitic placement when a modal verb is involved.
- Italian Ne Pronoun: Functions and Uses: the companion unstressed pronoun for di-phrases.
- Italian Ci: C’è, Ci Vuole, Ci Penso: another versatile unstressed pronoun.
- Accademia della Crusca: Uso di gli per a lui, a loro e a lei: institutional note on the gli vs loro register split.
