Avoiding Repetition with "Lo"
In English, when someone asks "Are you touchy?", you can simply answer "No, I am not." You drop the adjective to avoid repeating it.
In Italian, you cannot leave the verb essere (to be) hanging by itself at the end of a clause. Instead, you use the pronoun lo to stand in for the previously mentioned adjective or noun.
Place lo directly before the conjugated verb:
| Are you touchy? No, I am not. | Sei permaloso? No, non lo sono. |
| Marco is touchy, but you are not. | Marco è permaloso, ma tu non lo sei. |
The Invariable "Lo"
You might already know lo as a direct object pronoun (meaning "him" or "it"), which changes to la, li, or le depending on gender and number.
However, when lo is used to replace an adjective or a noun describing someone's state (acting as a predicate), it is completely invariable. It is always lo, even if the word it replaces is feminine or plural.
| She is extroverted, and her brother is too. | Lei è estroversa, e lo è anche suo fratello. |
| Do you all think we are hypocritical? We are not at all! | Pensate che siamo ipocriti? Non lo siamo per niente! |
Comparing Personality Traits
This structure is incredibly common in conversational Italian, especially when playfully comparing quirks, habits, or personality traits among friends.
| My father is stubborn, but my grandfather is not. | Mio padre è cocciuto, ma mio nonno non lo è. |
| Are you distracted today? Yes, I am, and also a bit moody. | Sei distratto oggi? Sì, lo sono, e anche un po' lunatico. |
Notice that if you want to introduce new adjectives in your response, you simply add them after the verb, just as you normally would.
