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pronoun

lei

/lˈɛi/

"she" / "her", or formal "you" (singular)

Definitions

  1. 1

    Subject pronoun meaning 'she'

    “Lei parla molto bene l'inglese a scuola.”

    She speaks English very well at school.

  2. 2

    Object of a preposition meaning 'her'

    “Ho comprato un regalo speciale per lei.”

    I bought a special gift for her.

  3. 3

    Formal 'you' (singular), used to address someone politely

    “Buongiorno, come sta lei oggi, signora?”

    Good morning, how are you today, madam?

Word forms

Gender
feminine
Usage
As a formal 'you', it is used for both men and women and takes third-person singular verb forms; often capitalized as 'Lei' in formal writing.

The formal 'Lei' is common in polite, professional, or unfamiliar contexts; younger Italians increasingly use informal 'tu' even with strangers in casual settings.