What are the subject pronouns in Italian?

They are io (I), tu (you, informal), lui (he), lei (she), Lei (you, formal), noi (we), voi (you, plural), and loro (they). Older written Italian also uses egli, ella, esso, essa, essi, and esse.

Why do Italians leave out subject pronouns?

Because each verb ending already shows the person. Parlo can only mean I speak, and parliamo can only mean we speak, so the pronoun adds nothing unless you want emphasis or contrast.

When should you use subject pronouns in Italian?

Use them to contrast two people (io lavoro, tu no), to stress who does something (pago io), after anche and neanche (anche lui), after essere (sono io), and when the verb form could refer to more than one person, as in the subjunctive.

What is the difference between tu and Lei?

Tu is the informal you for friends, family, children, and people your age in casual settings. Lei is the formal you for strangers, older people, and professional situations, and it takes the third person verb: tu sei, but Lei è.

What are egli and ella?

They are literary forms of he and she. You will find them in older books and formal texts, but modern speech and most modern writing use lui and lei instead.

Italian grammar · Beginner

Italian Subject Pronouns

Written by Parrot Italian Team, Italian Curriculum Editors · Reviewed October 2026

Italian subject pronouns are io, tu, lui, lei, Lei, noi, voi, and loro. Because the verb ending already shows who is acting, Italian usually leaves them out: parlo means I speak on its own. You add the pronoun for emphasis, for contrast, or to avoid confusion, not because English would need one.

Io lavoro, tu invece dormi tutto il giorno.

I work, but you sleep all day.

What it is

In English the subject pronoun is required: you cannot say speak Italian, you must say I speak Italian. In Italian the ending -o in parlo already says I, so the pronoun is redundant and normally dropped. If you use it in every sentence, you sound as if you are stressing the person each time.

Parlo italiano. Io parlo italiano, lui no. (I speak Italian. I speak Italian, he doesn't.)

How to spot it

When you do see a subject pronoun, look for the reason: a contrast between two people, emphasis, a word like anche or neanche, or a sentence with no verb.

Pago io. (I'll pay. (it's my treat))
Anche lei viene alla festa. (She's coming to the party too.)
Chi è? Sono io. (Who is it? It's me.)
E tu che cosa ne pensi? (And what do you think?)

A pronoun placed after the verb (pago io, decido io) carries strong emphasis: I'm the one who pays.

Subject Pronouns Quick Reference

The subject pronouns with the present tense of essere and parlare. The verb ending shows the person, which is why the pronoun can be dropped.

Person	Pronoun	English	essere	parlare
1st singular	io	I	sono	parlo
2nd singular	tu	you (informal)	sei	parli
3rd singular	lui / lei	he / she	è	parla
formal singular	Lei	you (formal)	è	parla
1st plural	noi	we	siamo	parliamo
2nd plural	voi	you (plural)	siete	parlate
3rd plural	loro	they	sono	parlano

Common Subject Pronouns Examples in Italian

Subject pronouns, used and dropped:

Dropped Pronouns

Siamo di Milano.: We're from Milan.
Hai fame?: Are you hungry?
Piove da stamattina.: It's been raining since this morning.

Italian has no word for the it in it's raining or it's late: piove, è tardi.

Contrast

Io prendo un caffè, tu che cosa prendi?: I'm having a coffee, what are you having?
Lui è di Roma, lei è di Torino.: He's from Rome, she's from Turin.

When two people are compared, the pronouns mark the contrast.

Emphasis

Decido io.: I'll decide. (I'm the one deciding)
Neanche noi lo sapevamo.: We didn't know either.

When anche, neanche, or proprio refers to the subject, it is almost always followed by a subject pronoun.

Formal Lei

Lei è il signor Bianchi?: Are you Mr Bianchi?
Scusi, Lei parla inglese?: Excuse me, do you speak English?

Lei is often kept for politeness and clarity, because the verb form is the same as for lui and lei.

How Italian Subject Pronouns Work

Six rules explain when Italian uses a subject pronoun and when it leaves it out.

The Verb Ending Does the Work

Each person has its own verb ending, so the subject is already clear. Drop the pronoun unless you have a reason to use it.

Abitiamo a Firenze da due anni.

We've been living in Florence for two years.

-iamo = noi.

Use Them for Contrast and Emphasis

Add the pronoun when you set one person against another, or when you want to stress who does the action.

Io cucino e voi lavate i piatti.

I'll cook and you wash the dishes.

pronoun = this person, not someone else.

Lei for Formal You

Lei, often written with a capital L, is the formal you for one person, man or woman. It takes the third person singular verb, like lui and lei.

Di dov'è Lei?

Where are you from? (formal)

Lei + third person singular.

Voi for Plural You

Voi is the plural you for friends and strangers alike. A formal plural Loro exists, but it sounds very formal and you hear it mostly in hotels and restaurants.

Voi siete pronti?

Are you all ready?

voi + -te ending: siete, parlate.

No Pronoun for It

Italian has no everyday subject pronoun for it. Esso and essa exist in formal writing, but in speech you use the verb alone.

È molto interessante.

It's very interesting.

it is = è.

After Essere, Use the Subject Form

Where English says it's me or is that you, Italian uses the subject forms io and tu after essere, and the verb agrees with them.

Sei tu, Marco?

Is that you, Marco?

it's me = sono io.

Common Mistakes with Subject Pronouns

Incorrect: Io sono stanco e io voglio dormire. (I'm tired and I want to sleep.)

Correct: Sono stanco e voglio dormire. (I'm tired and I want to sleep.)

The verb endings already show the subject. Repeating io sounds heavy and unnatural.

Incorrect: Esso è tardi. (It's late.)

Correct: È tardi. (It's late.)

Italian has no dummy it. Times, weather, and general statements use the verb with no subject.

Incorrect: Sono me. (It's me.)

Correct: Sono io. (It's me.)

After essere, Italian uses the subject form io, and the verb agrees with it: sono io, sei tu, siamo noi.

Incorrect: Signora, tu sei di qui? (Madam, are you from here?)

Correct: Signora, Lei è di qui? (Madam, are you from here?)

With someone you address as signora or signore, use the formal Lei with a third person verb.

Other Subject Pronouns You Will Meet

Two situations go beyond the everyday set: older written forms, and verbs whose ending does not show the person.

Literary Forms: Egli, Ella, Esso, Essi

Egli (he), ella (she), esso and essa (it), and essi and esse (they) appear in older literature, legal texts, and some formal writing. In speech and ordinary writing, use lui, lei, and loro.

Egli era un uomo onesto.: He was an honest man. (literary)

You need to recognize these forms when you read, but you do not need to use them.

When the Verb Form Is Ambiguous

In the present subjunctive, the io, tu, and lui forms are identical, so Italian often adds the pronoun to make the subject clear.

Penso che tu abbia ragione.: I think you're right.
È importante che lui venga.: It's important that he comes.

Without tu, che abbia ragione could mean that I, you, or he is right.

Quick Check: Subject Pronouns

Complete each sentence, or decide that no pronoun is needed.

1. Loro sono di Roma, ___ siamo di Napoli.

Answer: noi

The contrast with loro needs a pronoun.

2. Chi ha rotto il vaso? Sono stato ___.

Answer: io

After essere, use the subject form.

3. Signor Rossi, ___ libero domani? (essere, formal)

Answer: è

Lei takes the third person singular.

4. Che tempo fa? ___ (piovere)

Answer: Piove.

Weather verbs have no subject.

5. Anche ___ vuole venire. (she)

Answer: lei

Anche is followed by the pronoun.

Subject Pronouns FAQs

What are the subject pronouns in Italian?: They are io (I), tu (you, informal), lui (he), lei (she), Lei (you, formal), noi (we), voi (you, plural), and loro (they). Older written Italian also uses egli, ella, esso, essa, essi, and esse.
Why do Italians leave out subject pronouns?: Because each verb ending already shows the person. Parlo can only mean I speak, and parliamo can only mean we speak, so the pronoun adds nothing unless you want emphasis or contrast.
When should you use subject pronouns in Italian?: Use them to contrast two people (io lavoro, tu no), to stress who does something (pago io), after anche and neanche (anche lui), after essere (sono io), and when the verb form could refer to more than one person, as in the subjunctive.
What is the difference between tu and Lei?: Tu is the informal you for friends, family, children, and people your age in casual settings. Lei is the formal you for strangers, older people, and professional situations, and it takes the third person verb: tu sei, but Lei è.
What are egli and ella?: They are literary forms of he and she. You will find them in older books and formal texts, but modern speech and most modern writing use lui and lei instead.