sostituiscila

Sostituiscila is the imperative form of the Italian verb sostituire with the feminine direct object pronoun la attached. It translates to “replace it” in English and is used to give a direct instruction to substitute a feminine noun previously mentioned, such as la parte, la lampadina, or la tessera. The pronoun la refers to a feminine item.

Formation and usage

In the second person singular informal (tu) imperative, sostituisci is the verb, and attaching the clitic la yields sostituiscila. For example: Sostituiscila subito. This means “Replace it immediately.” When a sentence uses an infinitive or another verb form, the pronoun can also attach to the infinitive, as in devi sostituirla or devi sostituirla con una nuova parte, meaning “you must replace it.”

Variants and related forms

Other gender and number combinations follow the same clitic attachment pattern: sostituiscilo for a masculine singular object, sostituiscili for masculine plural, and sostituiscile for feminine plural. For formal address (Lei), the corresponding form is sostituisca la (without attaching the pronoun as an enclitic), for example: La sostituisca, per favore.

Notes

Sostituiscila is common in technical manuals, maintenance instructions, and everyday speech when directing someone to replace a specific feminine item. The general rule is that clitic pronouns attach to the verb form appropriate to the subject and mood, with variations across informal and formal registers. When multiple pronouns are present, combinations such as gliela can occur to indicate “replace it for him/her,” though these constructions are more advanced and context-dependent.