Learn Hardcore Italian: Prendilo e mettilo nel cassetto, per favore. - Take it and put it in the drawer, please.

Because you’re using the affirmative tu imperative and in Italian positive commands the direct‐object pronouns are enclitic (attached to the verb). So prendi + lo becomes prendilo, and metti + lo becomes mettilo.

What does -lo refer to in these commands?

-lo is the masculine singular direct‐object pronoun meaning “it.” It replaces a previously mentioned masculine noun (e.g. il libro, il quaderno).

Why is there an e between the two verbs? Could you leave it out?

e simply means “and,” connecting the actions “take it” and “put it.” You could instead say two separate commands:
Prendilo.
Mettilo nel cassetto.
But using e makes the instruction flow more naturally.

Why is it nel cassetto instead of in il cassetto?

In Italian in + il contracts to nel when the noun is masculine singular. So in il cassetto → nel cassetto (“in the drawer”).

When do pronouns attach after the verb (enclisis) versus before it (proclisis)?

– Enclisis (verb+pronoun): in affirmative imperatives for tu, noi, voi (prendilo, mettiamolo, portatelo).
– Proclisis (pronoun+verb): in negative commands (non lo prendere), in most tenses/moods (lo voglio, mi ha detto), and after certain particles (e.g. che, se, quando).

How would you change the sentence to make it formal (Lei)?

Use the third‐person singular subjunctive form for Lei commands, still with enclisis:
Prenda e metta nel cassetto, per favore.

Can per favore move to a different position in the sentence?

Yes. You can place it at the beginning, middle, or end without changing the meaning:
– Per favore, prendilo e mettilo nel cassetto.
– Prendilo, per favore, e mettilo nel cassetto.
– Prendilo e mettilo nel cassetto, per favore.

Is cassetto always masculine? What if the noun were feminine?

Cassetto is a masculine noun. If you had a feminine noun, e.g. borsa, you’d use nella (in + la):
Mettila nella borsa, per favore.