Note that, in Italian, we play around with word order a lot, as a way to create ✨ emphasis ✨ or to stress a certain piece of information. This means that the basic SVO scheme is often reinterpreted when we want to emphasize something in a conversation. In particular, you will notice that the beginning and end of the sentence are key positions where we want to make sure that something is clear and stands out.
Both English and Italian are SVO languages, which means that their typical sentence starts with a , which is followed by a and the (if it is required) comes last. For example:
subjectverbobject
Simona scrive un messagio.
Simona writes a message.
SVO is the most basic Italian sentence structure and, once you master it, you can little by little build more complex phrases. In this post we will cover where different parts of speech are placed, depending on their function (subject, object, etc.) or their relationship to other words in a sentence.
So, let’s build our way up to Italian word order starting from the basics!
The basics: What is the word order for affirmative sentences in Italian?
As mentioned before, basic Italian affirmative sentences (those that make a statement) have three elements, appearing in the order S‑V‑O:
Subject
a noun or pronoun
that performs the action
Verb
expressing the action
the subject performs
Object
destination of the action,
which can be a noun or pronoun
Raffaella guarda la televisione.
Raffaella watches TV.
This basic structure works for and , as well as yes/no questions.
Other elements can be added to basic SVO sentences, such as an , a , or .
Tip
Implicit subjects: What to do when the subject is a pronoun?
When the subject of a sentence is a , in Italian it is often left implicit, which means that the “subject position” can be left empty.
So, for instance, if the sentence is Io guardo la televisione, the subject pronoun io can be omitted in Italian.
verbobject
Guardo la televisione.
(I) watch TV.
The reason why we can do that in Italian is because the verb – in this case guardo(I watch) – has an ending (in this case -o), which gives us information about who is performing the action. So, in the example above, we know that the subject is io(I), even though the pronoun is missing because the verb ends in -o.
How to use a relative clause to describe the subject?
When the subject of a sentence is modified by a relative clause (a that adds info about a noun or pronoun), the word order of the main clause changes so that the relative pronoun can be close to the noun it’s describing.
We have two options to ensure that the relative clause is close to the subject:
Keep the subject at the beginning of the sentence
When keeping the subject at the beginning of the sentence, we can insert the relative clause between the subject and the verb of the . This is by far the most common option.
subjectrelative clauseverbLa casa che aveta comprato è molto bella.
The house (that) you bought is really beautiful.
Move the subject + relative clause to the end
Your second option is to place the subject and the relative clause at the end of the sentence. This means that the verb of the main clause is at the beginning.
subjectrelative clauseverbÈ molto bella la casa che avete comprato.
It’s very beautiful, the house that you bought.
Important
When the main clause and relative clause have the same subject, the word order can only be S + relative clause + V, so the relative clause cannot be placed at the end.
Il ragazzo che guida la macchina è mio fratello.
The guy who drives the car is my brother.
What’s the word order for negative sentences in Italian?
To transform an into a in Italian, just add the negative non(not) before the verb, without altering the basic SVO order.
subjectnonverbobject
Raffaella non guarda la televisione.
Rafaella doesn’t watch TV.
If the subject pronoun is omitted, non(not) would be the first element in the sentence, as in:
nonverbobject
Non guardiamo la televisione.
(We) don’t watch TV.
What is the word order with double negatives and compound tenses?
Double negative constructions are sentences that use more than one negative word/phrase. In Italian, that generally means that the first negative, before the verb, is non(not), which will be then followed by other negatives after the verb.
negativeverb
Non ho detto niente a nessuno.
I haven’t said anything to anyone.
However, when we use two negatives with compound tenses, some negative words, such as mai(never) and più(anymore) have to be placed between the helping verb and the past participle of the compound tense.
negativeverb
Non hanno mai visto questa serie televisa.
They have never seen this tv show.
Some negatives like neanche(not even) and ancora(yet) are usually placed between the helping verb and past participle, but we can also place them after the whole compound tense.
Where to place direct and indirect objects in Italian sentences?
In Italian, direct and indirect objects follow the verb, with the direct object coming before the indirect object. Here is the difference between the two types of objects:
Direct objects are nouns that directly undergo the action of the verb
Indirect objects are nouns that answer the questions “to whom” or “for whom?” In Italian, they are introduced by a preposition.
subject
verb
direct object
indirect object
Alessandro porta il giornale a suo nonno.
Alessandro brings the newspaper to his grandpa.
English often places the indirect object before the direct object (e.g. “Alessandro brings his grandpa the newspaper”), but Italian always uses the word order above.
How to use direct and indirect object pronouns?
When you replace direct or indirect objects with their corresponding pronouns, notice that:
they go before the verb
they go after the subject and/or negative non(not)
For example:
subjectindirect object pronounverb
Caterina la invierà.
Catherina will send it.
subjectindirect object pronounverb
Enzo non vi parlerà.
Enzo will not speak to you.
Important
Remember that verbs like piacere(to like) always have an indirect object pronoun and the typical word order is:
indirect object (pronoun)
verb
subject
A me piace la mozzarella.
I like mozzarella.
Mi piace la mozzarella.
I like mozzarella.
What are double pronouns?
If you have both a direct object and an indirect object pronoun, they will combine to form something called a . In a double pronoun, the indirect object pronoun in Italian always comes before the direct object pronoun, but often the two will combine or change pronunciations when used together.
indirect object pronoundirect object pronoun
Caterina ve la invierà.
Caterina will send it to you.
indirect object pronoundirect object pronoun
Ve la invierà.
(He/she) will send it to you.
When you’re using double pronouns, you can emphasize the by moving it to the end of the sentence, you can say:
subject
Ve la invierà Caterina.
Caterina will send it to you.
Exception!
In the case that you have two verbs, a conjugated one followed by an or , the pronouns can either go before the first verb or they can be attached to the second verb. This rule applies both to single pronouns and double pronouns.
Non lo posso comprare. / Non posso comprarlo.
I cannot buy it.
Glielo voglio dire. / Voglio dirglielo.
I want to tell him (it).
In the , both single and double pronouns go attached to the verb:
Non comprarlo!
Don’t buy it!
Diglielo!
Tell him (that)!
How does word order change in colloquial Italian?
One of the most common ways that word order changes in colloquial Italian is called left-dislocation. When left-dislocation takes place, some word or phrase that is usually placed on the right of the verb is moved to the left side of the verb instead.
Left-dislocation is typical of colloquial Italian and speakers use it to talk with someone about something previously mentioned and known to all the speakers involved.
Objects are quite commonly left-dislocated. When this happens, it transforms the word order from SVO to OVS. For an example of this structure — which places the object first — check out the following exchange:
Quando compri il pane?
When do you buy bread?
Normal order:
Compro il pane domani.
I’ll buy the bread tomorrow.
Left-Dislocated Order:
Il pane lo compro domani.
I'll buy the bread tomorrow.
Note that this construction repeats the object twice:
as a noun: il pane(the bread)
as a pronoun: lo(it)
So the formula is:
direct object
direct object pronoun
verb
Il pane lo compro domani.
I’ll buy the bread tomorrow.
Important
When using the OVS construction, remember that the object pronoun has to in and with the object noun.
In addition, if you are using a like the passato prossimo(perfect tense) , the past participle of the verb also has to agree with the object noun, even if the helping verb is avere(to have).
I contanti li ho prelevati ieri mattina.
I took the cash out yesterday morning.
Where to put reflexive pronouns in an Italian sentence?
Reflexive pronouns in Italian are placed before the verb, but if you have both a reflexive and a direct object pronoun, the reflexive pronoun goes before the direct object pronoun, and both are placed before the verb. For example, if we wanted to say “Nina washes her hands,” and replace “her hands” with a direct object pronoun, we would end up with this:
reflexive pronoundirect object pronounverb
Nina se le lava .
Nina washes them.
Where to put other types of pronouns in Italian sentences?
The following types of pronouns can be placed in different parts of the sentence depending on their job: at the beginning of the sentence if it’s a subject, and after the verb if it’s an object.
Possessive pronouns:
Subject:
La mia bici è blu, la tua è rossa.
My bike is blue, yours is red.
Object:
Gli ho chiesto di prestarmi la sua bici, perché non ho più la mia.
I asked him to lend me his bike, because I no longer have mine.
Demonstrative pronouns:
Subject:
Questo non funziona, però quello sì.
This one does not work, but that one does.
Object:
Prendi questo!
Take this!
Indefinite pronouns: (qualcosa(something), nessuno(nobody), tutti(everyone), etc.)
Subject:
Qualcuno può dirmi che ore sono, per favore?
Can anyone tell me what time it is, please?
Object:
Marco non conosce nessuno a questa festa.
Marco doesn't know anyone at this party.
Where to put prepositional phrases in Italian sentences?
If your sentence has a it will normally go at the end, after the object(s):
Ho comprato una stampante nuova al negozio all’angolo.
I bought a new printer at the corner store.
For emphasis, we can have prepositional phrases in key position (at the beginning):
Alle 8 di sera sono impegnata.
At 8 p.m., I am busy.
How to create prepositional phrases with pronouns?
When a preposition is combined with a pronoun, the pronoun will always appear after the preposition. However, once together, both words can move around in the sentence depending on what the speaker wants to emphasize or call attention to.
Sono molto contento per te, per il tuo nuovo lavoro.
I am very happy for you, for your new job.
✨ ✨
Per me possiamo andare in viaggio dove ci va.As far as I’m concerned we can travel wherever we feel like.
lit. For me...
✨ ✨
Con te partirò!I will depart with you.
lit. With you I shall depart!
Where to put words that modify nouns in Italian sentences?
In Italian, the following words always go in front of nouns:
Articles:
Il gatto di mia zia è molto carino.
My aunt's cat is very cute.
Number determiners:
In Italia ci sono venti regioni.
In Italy there are twenty regions.
Possessive and demonstrative adjectives:
La mia macchina è più vecchia di queste rovine etrusche.
My car is older than these Etruscan ruins.
However, a number of noun modifiers in Italian will follow the noun instead. Most importantly, unlike in English, descriptive adjectives in Italian will usually go after the noun.
nounadjective
Frederica è una ragazza simpatica.
Frederica is a nice girl.
In general, remember to be mindful of adjectives in Italian, because you may have to invert the English word order!
Exception!
In literature or poetry, you can find descriptive adjectives placed before the noun.
adjectivenoun
Azzuro, il pomeriggio è troppo azzurro e lungo per me.
Blue, the afternoon is too blue and too long for me.
How does word order affect the meaning of Italian adjectives?
There are some adjectives that in Italian can come either before or after the noun. Those special adjectives, depending on their position in the sentence, slightly change their meaning. Here is an example with the adjective bravo(good / good at):
- nounadjectiveprepositional phrase
Frederica è una ragazza brava in matematica.
Frederica is a girl (who is) good at math.
- adjectivenoun
Frederica è una brava ragazza.
Frederica is a good girl.
Where to put adverbs in Italian sentences?
and can modify a verb, an adjective, or another adverb. In general, Italian adverbs are placed close to the term they modify.
In particular we find them…
after the verb:
- verbadverb
Roberta cammina velocemente.
Roberta walks quickly.
- verbadverb
Questo autobus arriverà prima o poi.
This bus will arrive sooner or later.
before the adjective:
verbadjectiveMarcello Mastroianni è un attore molto famoso.
Marcello Mastroianni is a very famous actor.
before another adverb:
adverbMio zio cucina davvero molto bene.
My uncle cooks very well indeed.
However, like in English, some Italian adverbs (e.g., adverbs of time) can be placed either before or after the verb, and sometimes even at the end of the sentence to create emphasis or contrast.
- adverbverb
Oggi vado a Milano.
Today I am going to Milan.
- verbpurple
Vado oggi a Milano.
I am going to Milan today.
- verbpurple
Vado a Milano oggi.
I am going to Milan today.
Important
Usually adverbs go after the verb. However, when we have a compound tense, like passato prossimo(perfect tense), adverbs can be placed between the helping verb and the past participle.
verbadverb
Vi ho sempre ammirato.
I have always admired you.
To sum up
In Italian sentences, subject pronouns are often implicit.
Sentences with relative clauses place the subject after the verb both in the main clause and in the relative clause.
The negative non(not) always goes before the verb.
Direct objects go before indirect objects.
Indirect object pronouns and reflexive pronouns go before direct object pronouns and they are placed before the verb.
The following can move around depending on their function: indefinite pronouns, demonstrative pronouns, and possessive pronouns.
Prepositional phrases go at the end of the sentence, after all the objects.
Articles, numbers, possessive and demonstrative adjectives go before nouns.
Descriptive adjectives go, traditionally, after nouns.
Adverbs usually are next to the word they modify.
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If you want to learn about word order in questions, click the link to access How to form questions in Italian!
