Learn Hardcore Italian: Ne prendo un altro.

Ne is a partitive clitic pronoun that replaces di + noun or expresses “of it/them.” In this sentence it means “of those/items we’re talking about,” so literally “I’m taking another one of them.”

Why do we place ne before the verb prendo and not after?

Clitic pronouns in Italian are normally placed before conjugated verbs in simple tenses. Therefore ne comes right before prendo, giving Ne prendo... rather than Prendo ne....

Why is there an indefinite article un before altro? Could we say Ne prendo altro?

When altro acts as an indefinite pronoun meaning “another one,” it requires an article. So you need un altro (masc. sing.) or un’altra (fem. sing.). Omitting un (as in Ne prendo altro) would be ungrammatical.

What determines the form of altro and how would the sentence change if the implied noun is feminine?

Altro agrees in gender and number with the noun it replaces. Here it’s masculine singular (un altro) because we assume a masculine noun. If you wanted “another (feminine item),” you’d say Ne prendo un’altra.

How do you say “I’ll have two more” instead of one?

You keep ne in front and use the numeral after prendo. For masculine: Ne prendo altri due. For feminine: Ne prendo altre due.

Why can’t we use direct object pronouns like lo or la instead of ne?

Lo/la are direct object pronouns meaning “it/him/her.” They don’t convey a partitive or “another one” meaning. Ne specifically expresses “some/of it/of them,” which is necessary for “another one” constructions.

Can I use Ne prendo un altro in formal contexts or is it too colloquial?

It’s perfectly acceptable in both formal and informal spoken Italian when ordering items or indicating you want another serving. In very formal writing you might rephrase (e.g. Prenderò un’altra copia), but in everyday speech Ne prendo un altro is fine.