Log inSign up

Il manuale è sul tavolo, prendilo!

Il manuale è sul tavolo, prendilo!
The manual is on the table, take it!
From Lesson 123:Commands with attached pronouns (fallo, dimmi)·Italian

Questions & Answers about Il manuale è sul tavolo, prendilo!

Why is lo attached to the end of prendi?
When giving an affirmative command in the informal tu form, object pronouns like lo (it) must attach directly to the end of the verb. So, instead of saying lo prendi, it becomes the single word prendilo.
Why do we use lo here instead of la?
The pronoun lo (it) replaces il manuale (the manual). Even though manuale ends in -e, the article il tells us it is a masculine word. Therefore, we must use the masculine singular pronoun lo.
Is prendi both the present tense and the command form?
Yes! For regular verbs ending in -ere like prendere, the informal command is exactly the same as the present tense tu form. You just say prendi! to mean Take! (Just remember that -are verbs are a bit different, as their tu command ends in -a).
Why does the sentence use sul instead of just su?
In Italian, the preposition su (on) almost always combines with the definite article when followed by a specific noun. Since table is il tavolo, su and il merge to form the combined preposition sul (on the).

Learn Il manuale è sul tavolo, prendilo and more in Italian

All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.

  • ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
  • ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
  • ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free
Start learning Italian →