Italiano — Clitic position
Unstressed pronouns (lo, la, mi, ti, ci, ne…) sit either before the verb (proclisi) or attached to its end (enclisi), depending on the verb form. With a finite verb they come before: lo vedo; with an infinitive, gerund or affirmative imperative they attach to the end: vederlo, vedendolo, guardalo.
How it works
Before a finite (conjugated) verb the clitic stands alone in front of it — proclisi: lo mangio, ti chiamo. With an infinitive, a gerund or an affirmative imperative it is attached to the verb as one word — enclisi: mangiarlo, mangiandolo, mangialo (note the infinitive drops its final -e).
Examples
| Verb form | Example | Position |
|---|---|---|
| Finite verb | lo vedo | Proclisis (before) |
| Infinitive | vederlo | Enclisis (attached) |
| Gerund | vedendolo | Enclisis (attached) |
| Affirmative imperative | guardalo! | Enclisis (attached) |
| Negative imperative | non guardarlo! / non lo guardare! | Both allowed |
| Modal + infinitive | lo voglio vedere / voglio vederlo | Both allowed |
Good to know
With a modal + infinitive both positions are correct, but you must not split the clitic — say lo posso fare or posso farlo, never «posso lo fare». With the short irregular imperatives (di', fa', va', da', sta') the initial consonant of the clitic doubles: dimmi, fammi, vacci, dammi, dallo (but not with gli: dagli).