lui
/ˈluj/
The Italian word for 'him' is lui.
The word lui is used for both the subject 'he' and the object 'him' depending on its position in the sentence.
Meaning: accusative / direct object (pron)
Which one should you use?
While lui can mean 'him', the unstressed direct object pronoun lo is much more common in standard Italian sentences. The form lui is a stressed pronoun used after prepositions or for emphasis, whereas lo is the unstressed clitic used before the verb.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈluj/
Did you know?
- In Italian, lui is sometimes used to refer to a pet or even a beloved object if the speaker wants to emphasize a personal bond with it.
- In Italian, if you say Lui lo sa, you are being incredibly emphatic, essentially saying 'He, he knows it' to highlight the person.
- The word lui comes from the Late Latin word illui, which evolved through the centuries into the modern Italian form.
Examples in context
- So che è lui.I know it's him.Tatoeba #5220403 by Guybrush88, translation #3910731 by CH
- Tom è con lui.Tom is with him.This sentence shows how to use lui after a preposition.Tatoeba #2273710 by Guybrush88, translation #2273632 by CK
- Lo dica a lui.Tell him that.This sentence demonstrates using lui for emphasis at the end of a phrase.Tatoeba #5709208 by Guybrush88, translation #3907992 by CH
- Vedo lui laggiù!I see him down there!
- Lo vedo.I see him.
- Lui si guarda allo specchio.He looks at himself in the mirror.
- 6231 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lorenzo and Sofia are talking about a new colleague.
- LorenzoHai incontrato il nuovo collega?Did you meet the new colleague?
- SofiaSì, ho parlato proprio con lui.Yes, I spoke with him exactly.
- LorenzoTi piace il suo modo di lavorare?Do you like his way of working?
- SofiaSì, voglio lavorare con lui.Yes, I want to work with him.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry lui, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries lui, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
