Log inSign up

Compra tutti i sandali e se li tiene.

Compra tutti i sandali e se li tiene.
He buys all the sandals and keeps them for himself.
From Lesson 250:Reflexive combined pronouns (se lo, se la...)·Italian

Questions & Answers about Compra tutti i sandali e se li tiene.

Why does this sentence use se li instead of si li?
When the third-person reflexive pronoun si (for himself or herself) is followed by a direct object pronoun like lo, la, li, or le, the i in si changes to an e. Since he is keeping the sandals (li), si becomes se, giving us se li.
What exactly does se li tiene mean compared to just li tiene?
li tiene simply means he keeps them. Adding the reflexive pronoun to make it se li tiene emphasizes that he is keeping them for himself. This is a common pattern in Italian to show that an action is done specifically for the subject's own benefit or enjoyment.
Why is the pronoun li used here instead of lo or le?
li is the masculine plural direct object pronoun meaning them. It specifically replaces i sandali (the sandals), which is masculine and plural. If he were keeping something feminine plural like le scarpe (the shoes), the phrase would change to se le tiene.
Why do we need the article i in tutti i sandali?
In English, we can sometimes drop the word the and just say all sandals, but in Italian, when a form of tutto (all) modifies a noun, it must be followed by the definite article. You always need the word for the, making it tutti i sandali.

Learn Compra tutti i sandali e se li tiene 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 →