lui
/ˈluj/
The Italian word for "he" is lui. Wiktionary also lists egli.
Meaning: personal pronoun "he" (pron)
Ways to say it
| Italian | IPA |
|---|---|
| lui | /ˈluj/ |
| egli | /ˈeʎ.ʎi/ /eʎ/ (before vowel, sometimes) |
The phrase is a personal pronoun used to refer to a male person.
Which one should you use?
lui is the standard, everyday way to say "he" in both spoken and written Italian. In contrast, egli is a more formal version.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
lui is used in standard everyday situations. egli is a formal, literary form used primarily in written texts or very formal speech.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In the Sicilian dialect, iddu is commonly used to mean "he".
How does it change in a sentence?
In Italian, the subject pronoun lui is often omitted because the verb conjugation already indicates the person.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈluj/
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often over-use lui in every sentence, whereas native speakers frequently drop it when the subject is clear.
Did you know?
- The word lui is derived from the Late Latin term illui.
- While lui means 'he', it also serves as the stressed pronoun for 'him', meaning it is used after prepositions such as per lui for 'for him'.
- Historically, egli was the primary subject pronoun, but it has been almost entirely replaced by lui in spoken language over the last few centuries.
Examples in context
- Lui è un DJ.He is a DJ.This sentence is useful for showing how to identify someone's profession using lui.Tatoeba #1255427 by Guybrush88, translation #288669 by CK
- Lui è a casa?Is he at home?This sentence is useful for asking a question about someone's location using lui.Tatoeba #1255735 by Guybrush88, translation #294392 by CK
- Lui è a casa.He is at home.This sentence is useful for stating someone's location using lui.Tatoeba #1259989 by Guybrush88, translation #816868 by Cindrogriza
- Egli è il direttore della bancaHe is the bank manager
- Lui è un avvocato di successoHe is a successful lawyer
- Egli ha vinto la partita!He won the game!
- Lui è il mio migliore amicoHe is my best friend
- Ho bisogno di colui che mi capisceI need someone who understands me
- 7628 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Martina and Lorenzo are talking about a mutual friend at a cafe.
- MartinaLui è molto simpatico.He is very nice.
- LorenzoSì, lo so.Yes, I know.
- MartinaLui arriva alle otto?Is he arriving at eight?
- LorenzoCredo di sì.I believe so.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “he” translations and entries lui, egli, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries egli, lui, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
