gli

See also: gli-

Alemannic German

Alternative forms

• glii

Etymology

From Middle High German gelīch, from Old High German gilīh, from Proto-West Germanic *galīk, from Proto-Germanic *galīkaz. Compare German gleich.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɡ̊li/

Adverb

gli

1. soon

   Synonym: bald

Italian

Alternative forms

• li (archaic)
• gl' (obsolete spelling, before ⟨i⟩)

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): (before a consonant) ^*/ʎi/, (before a vowel) ^*/ʎ/^*

Etymology 1

From Latin illī (nominative masculine plural of ille). Cognate with Sicilian li~i.

Article

Italian Definite Articles
	singular	plural
masculine	il lo/l'	i gli
feminine	la/l'	le

gli m pl (singular lo)

1. form of the article i (“the”) used before a vowel, impure s, gn, pn, ps, x, y, and z, and also with the plural noun dei (“gods”); the

   gli alberi ― the trees

   gli studenti ― the students

   gli gnomi ― the gnomes

   gli pneumatici ― the tires

   gli xilofoni ― the xylophones

   gli yogurt ― the yogurts

   gli zaini ― the backpacks

   gli dei ― the gods

Etymology 2

From Latin illī (dative masculine singular of ille). Cognate with Sicilian ci.

Pronoun

gli m (plural gli)

1. (dative) him, to him; it; to it

   Gli parlo. ― I talk to him.

Usage notes

• Becomes glie- when followed by a non-reflexive third-person accusative or genitive clitic pronoun (lo, la, li, le, or ne).

Etymology 3

From Latin illī (dative feminine singular of ille). Cognate with Sicilian ci.

Pronoun

gli f (plural gli)

2. (dative, informal) her, to her
   • ca. 1349-1353, Giovanni Boccaccio, The Decameron, Tommaso Edlin (1725), page 98:

     […] ne prima altro fece, che ella s’ingegnò di veder Beltramo, & appreſſo nel coſpetto del Re venuta di gratia chieſe, che la ſua infermita gli moſtraſſe.

     Before aught else she studied to see Bertrand and next, presenting herself before the king, she prayed him of his favour/favor to show her his ailment.

   Synonym: le

   Ho detto a Gianna che gli telefono domani.

   I told Gianna I'd call her tomorrow.

Usage notes

• Becomes glie- when followed by a third-person direct-object clitic pronoun (lo, la, li, le, or ne).
• Although historically attested and etymologically justifiable (from illī f sg), this form is nonetheless, to this day, considered incorrect and is therefore only acceptable in an informal, colloquial context and register.

Etymology 4

From Latin illīs (dative plural of ille). Cognate with Sicilian ci.

Pronoun

gli m pl or f pl

1. (dative) them, to them

   Gli parlerò. ― I'll talk to them.

   • For quotations using this term, see Citations:gli.

Usage notes

• Becomes glie when followed by a third-person direct-object clitic pronoun (lo, la, li, le, or ne).

Derived terms

Derived terms

• gliela
• gliele
• glieli
• glielo
• gliene

See also

Italian personal pronouns

Number	Person	Gender	Nominative	Reflexive	Accusative	Dative	Combined	Disjunctive	Locative	Partitive
Singular	first	—	io	mi, m', -mi			me	me	—
	second	—	tu	ti, t', -ti			te	te
	third	m	lui	si2, s', -si	lo, l', -lo	gli, -gli	glie, se2	lui, sé	ci, c', vi, v' (formal)	ne, n'
		f	lei, Lei1		la, La1, l', L'1, -la, -La1	le3, Le1, -le3, -Le1		lei, Lei1, sé
Plural	first	—	noi	ci, c', -ci			ce	noi	—
	second	—	voi, Voi4	vi, Vi4, v', V'4, -vi, -Vi4			ve	voi, Voi4
	third	m	loro, Loro1	si, s', -si	li, Li1, -li, -Li1	gli, -gli, loro (formal), Loro1	glie, se	loro, Loro1, sé	ci, c', vi, v' (formal)	ne, n'
		f			le, Le1, -le, -Le1
1	Third person pronominal forms used as formal terms of address to refer to second person subjects (with the first letter frequently capitalised as a sign of respect, and to distinguish them from third person subjects). Unlike the singular forms, the plural forms are mostly antiquated terms of formal address in the modern language, and second person plural pronouns are almost always used instead.
2	Also used as indefinite pronoun meaning “one”, and to form the passive.
3	Often replaced by gli, -gli in informal language.
4	Formal (capitalisation optional); in many regions, can refer to just one person (compare with French vous).

Norwegian Nynorsk

Alternative forms

• glida, glide (long forms)

Etymology

From Middle Low German gliden, from Proto-Germanic *glīdaną.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɡliː/
• Homophone: glid

Verb

gli (present tense glir, past tense glei, supine glidd/glidt or glide, past participle glidd or gliden, present participle glidande, imperative gli)

1. to slip (to lose one's traction on a slippery surface)

   Han glei på isen.

   He slipped on the ice.

2. to glide (to move effortlessly)

   Skia glir godt.

   The skis glide well.

References

• “gli” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.

Swedish

Noun

gli n

1. a fry (young fish)

   Synonym: fiskyngel

2. Alternative form of glin (“(mischievous) child”)

Declension

Declension of gli

		nominative	genitive
singular	indefinite	gli	glis
	definite	gliet	gliets
plural	indefinite	glin	glins
	definite	glina	glinas

References

• gli in Svensk ordbok (SO)
• gli in Svenska Akademiens ordlista (SAOL)
• gli in Svenska Akademiens ordbok (SAOB)