Learn Hardcore Italian: Gli occhiali da sole, li lascio sempre vicino alla porta. - The sunglasses, I always leave them near the door.

It signals a “left dislocation” (topic fronting): the object Gli occhiali da sole is moved to the front as the topic, and the sentence then “resumes” it with the clitic pronoun li. It’s a very natural way in Italian to emphasize or clarify the topic: “As for the sunglasses, I always leave them near the door.”

Where is the subject “I”? Why isn’t there an explicit io?

Italian usually drops subject pronouns because the verb ending tells you the subject. Lascio ends in -o, marking first person singular, so it already means “I leave.” You can say Io li lascio… for emphasis, but it’s not required.

Why is li there? Isn’t it redundant with Gli occhiali da sole?

With left-dislocation, the clitic pronoun is required: Gli occhiali da sole, li lascio… Without the pronoun, the fronted object sounds ungrammatical. If you don’t front the object, you can omit the clitic: Lascio sempre gli occhiali da sole vicino alla porta.

Can I just say Lascio sempre gli occhiali da sole vicino alla porta?

Yes. That’s the neutral word order. The version with the comma and li is more topicalized/emphatic, common in speech and also fine in writing when you want to foreground the object.

Why li and not le?

Because occhiali is masculine plural, so the direct-object clitic is li. Quick map:

Masculine singular: lo
Feminine singular: la
Masculine plural: li
Feminine plural: le Example: Le chiavi? Le lascio…; Il cappello? Lo lascio…

What’s the difference between gli and li?

Here, gli is the masculine plural definite article (“the”), as in gli occhiali. Li is a direct-object clitic pronoun (“them”). Note: gli can also be a pronoun meaning “to him” (and colloquially “to her/them”), but that’s a different function and position: e.g., Gli ho parlato = “I spoke to him.”

Why gli occhiali and not i occhiali?

Before a vowel (like the initial “o” in occhiali) and certain consonant clusters (z, s+consonant, gn, ps…), masculine plural uses gli, not i. So: gli occhiali, gli zaini, but i libri, i telefoni.

Why is occhiali plural if it’s just one pair?

Italian treats “glasses” as inherently plural: gli occhiali. To talk about “one pair,” say un paio di occhiali. The singular occhiale exists but is rare and tends to refer to a single eyepiece (e.g., a monocle) or in technical contexts.

What does da mean in occhiali da sole?

Da expresses purpose/use: “glasses for the sun” = sunglasses. Compare:

occhiali da vista = prescription glasses
scarpe da tennis = tennis shoes
sala da pranzo = dining room Using di here would mean “made of,” which doesn’t fit: occhiali di sole would be nonsense.

Why vicino alla porta and not vicino la porta or vicino a la porta?

Standard Italian uses vicino a + article, and the preposition and article contract: a + la = alla → vicino alla porta. The form vicino la porta is common in some speech but is nonstandard. Also note: as an adjective it agrees, e.g., una sedia vicina alla porta; as an adverbial phrase, vicino alla porta doesn’t change.

Could I use accanto or presso instead of vicino?

Accanto (a) = “right next to,” closer/more immediate than generic “near”: accanto alla porta.
Presso = “at/near,” but it’s formal/literary or used with institutions/places: presso la porta is uncommon in everyday speech.

Where does sempre normally go? Can I move it?

Adverbs like sempre usually come after the conjugated verb: Li lascio sempre… You can front it for emphasis: Sempre li lascio vicino alla porta, but li sempre lascio is odd. With the full NP: Lascio sempre gli occhiali… is the default.

What’s the difference between li and lì?

li (no accent) = “them” (direct-object clitic).
lì (accent) = “there” (adverb of place). You can have both together: Li lascio lì = “I leave them there.”

If I put this in the past, does anything change?

Yes: with a preceding direct-object clitic, the past participle agrees in gender/number.

Masculine plural: Li ho lasciati vicino alla porta.
Feminine plural: Le ho lasciate vicino alla porta.
Masculine singular: L’ho lasciato…
Feminine singular: L’ho lasciata…

Can I drop Gli occhiali da sole and just say Li lascio sempre vicino alla porta?

Yes, if the referent is clear from context. Italian prefers pronouns to avoid repetition once the topic is established.

Can the pronoun attach to the verb instead?

Not in this finite form. Clitics attach to infinitives, gerunds, and affirmative imperatives:

Infinitive: lasciarli vicino alla porta
Gerund: lasciandoli vicino alla porta
Imperative: Lasciali vicino alla porta! / plural Lasciateli… With a normal present tense, it goes before: Li lascio…

Should I use lasciare or mettere here?

Lasciare = “to leave (behind), to let remain,” highlighting where something ends up/stays.
Mettere = “to put,” focusing on the act of placing. Both can work, but lasciare sounds natural for a habitual resting place: Li lascio sempre vicino alla porta. Li metto sempre… is also fine if you mean you actively place them there each time.

Does alla porta mean “at the door” or “near the door”? What if I want to be specific?

Vicino alla porta = “near the door.” Alla porta alone is more like “at the door” (right by/at the doorway, sometimes with a sense of “to the door”). To specify which door: vicino alla porta di casa, vicino alla porta d’ingresso, vicino alla porta sul retro, etc.

Is the comma strictly necessary in writing?

When you front the object and double it with a clitic (Gli occhiali da sole, li…), the comma reflects the natural pause and clarifies structure. You’ll often see it written with the comma; without it, it can feel cramped or momentarily ambiguous. If you don’t front the object, just write the neutral order and no comma is needed.