how do i know which subject pronoun to use?

Do you sometimes get mixed up between voi and loro? Understanding the logic behind the subject pronouns should forever clear up any confusion they may cause you.

Which subject pronoun you use all depends on two factors: who’s doing the action and where that person stands in relation to the speaker.

If the speaker is the person doing the action, you use io.

If the person the speaker is speaking to is doing the action, you use tu. Or, to show respect, Lei.

If the person the speaker is speaking about is doing the action, you use lui or lei depending on the person’s gender.

If the speaker and the person or people the speaker is speaking to are doing the action together, you use noi.

If the people (more than one person) the speaker is speaking to are doing the action, you use voi. Voi is kind of like tu except you use it when you’re addressing more than one person. It’s like “yous guys” in English.

And if the people (again plural) the speaker is speaking about are doing the action, you use loro. Loro is kind of like lui and lei except again you use it for more than one person.

So you use voi when you are speaking to more than one person. You use loro when you are speaking about more than one person.