"Lei" meaning in Italian

See Lei in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Pronoun

IPA: /ˈlɛ.i/
Rhymes: -ɛi Etymology: The use of a word literally meaning "she" as a courtesy pronoun is apparently due to allocution with formulae such as "la Vostra persona" (Your person) being grammatically female. Although grammatically female, the courtesy pronoun can be used with grammatically masculine complements (e.g. "Lei è coraggioso", meaning "You are brave.MASC"). As for the enclitic forms of this pronoun, usage oscillates between keeping the uppercase ("Vorrei comunicarLe", I wish to tell you, sir) and aligning it to the rest of the word ("Vorrei comunicarle", I wish to tell you, sir) Head templates: {{head|it|pronoun}} Lei
  1. (formal, polite) alternative letter-case form of lei (“you”) Tags: alt-of, formal, polite Alternative form of: lei (extra: you) Synonyms: Ella, Voi
    Sense id: en-Lei-it-pron-~ORMPZzw Categories (other): Italian entries with incorrect language header, Italian pronouns, Pages with 5 entries, Pages with entries, Pages with 5 entries, Pages with entries Disambiguation of Pages with 5 entries: 35 0 0 6 29 14 8 8 Disambiguation of Pages with entries: 29 0 0 10 24 11 13 13 Related terms: io, tu, Ella8, lui, egli, 8 ello, 8 elli, 3, 8 esso8, lei, ella, 8 essa8, noi, voi, Voi7, Loro, loro, elli, 8 ellino, 4, 8 eglino, 8 essi8, elle, 8 elleno, 8 esse8, mi, m', -mi, me9, ti, t', -ti, te9, , si, 6 s', -si, se, 9 ci13, ci, c', -ci, ce, 9 ne, 4 n'4, vi, Vi, 7 v', V', 7 -vi, -Vi, 7 ve9, s', se9, La, -La, L', lo, l', -lo, il4, la, -la, Le, -Le, li, -li, le, -le, glie9, Loro10, 10 gli, 2 -gli, 2 glie9, gli, -gli, 2 -gli2, 1 v'1, ne, n', , me, te, esso8, essa8, essi8
{
  "etymology_text": "The use of a word literally meaning \"she\" as a courtesy pronoun is apparently due to allocution with formulae such as \"la Vostra persona\" (Your person) being grammatically female. Although grammatically female, the courtesy pronoun can be used with grammatically masculine complements (e.g. \"Lei è coraggioso\", meaning \"You are brave.MASC\"). As for the enclitic forms of this pronoun, usage oscillates between keeping the uppercase (\"Vorrei comunicarLe\", I wish to tell you, sir) and aligning it to the rest of the word (\"Vorrei comunicarle\", I wish to tell you, sir)",
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "it",
        "2": "pronoun"
      },
      "expansion": "Lei",
      "name": "head"
    }
  ],
  "hyphenation": [
    "Lè‧i"
  ],
  "hyphenations": [
    {
      "parts": [
        "Lè‧i"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "lang": "Italian",
  "lang_code": "it",
  "pos": "pron",
  "senses": [
    {
      "alt_of": [
        {
          "extra": "you",
          "word": "lei"
        }
      ],
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Italian entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Italian pronouns",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with 5 entries",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with entries",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "35 0 0 6 29 14 8 8",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with 5 entries",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "29 0 0 10 24 11 13 13",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with entries",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "alternative letter-case form of lei (“you”)"
      ],
      "id": "en-Lei-it-pron-~ORMPZzw",
      "links": [
        [
          "lei",
          "lei#Italian"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(formal, polite) alternative letter-case form of lei (“you”)"
      ],
      "related": [
        {
          "word": "io"
        },
        {
          "word": "tu"
        },
        {
          "word": "Ella8"
        },
        {
          "word": "lui"
        },
        {
          "word": "egli"
        },
        {
          "word": "8 ello"
        },
        {
          "word": "8 elli"
        },
        {
          "word": "3"
        },
        {
          "word": "8 esso8"
        },
        {
          "word": "lei"
        },
        {
          "word": "ella"
        },
        {
          "word": "8 essa8"
        },
        {
          "word": "noi"
        },
        {
          "word": "voi"
        },
        {
          "word": "Voi7"
        },
        {
          "word": "Loro"
        },
        {
          "word": "loro"
        },
        {
          "word": "elli"
        },
        {
          "word": "8 ellino"
        },
        {
          "word": "4"
        },
        {
          "word": "8 eglino"
        },
        {
          "word": "8 essi8"
        },
        {
          "word": "elle"
        },
        {
          "word": "8 elleno"
        },
        {
          "word": "8 esse8"
        },
        {
          "word": "mi"
        },
        {
          "word": "m'"
        },
        {
          "word": "-mi"
        },
        {
          "word": "me9"
        },
        {
          "word": "ti"
        },
        {
          "word": "t'"
        },
        {
          "word": "-ti"
        },
        {
          "word": "te9"
        },
        {
          "word": "―"
        },
        {
          "word": "si"
        },
        {
          "word": "6 s'"
        },
        {
          "word": "-si"
        },
        {
          "word": "se"
        },
        {
          "word": "9 ci13"
        },
        {
          "word": "ci"
        },
        {
          "word": "c'"
        },
        {
          "word": "-ci"
        },
        {
          "word": "ce"
        },
        {
          "word": "9 ne"
        },
        {
          "word": "4 n'4"
        },
        {
          "word": "vi"
        },
        {
          "word": "Vi"
        },
        {
          "word": "7 v'"
        },
        {
          "word": "V'"
        },
        {
          "word": "7 -vi"
        },
        {
          "word": "-Vi"
        },
        {
          "word": "7 ve9"
        },
        {
          "word": "s'"
        },
        {
          "word": "se9"
        },
        {
          "word": "La"
        },
        {
          "word": "-La"
        },
        {
          "word": "L'"
        },
        {
          "word": "lo"
        },
        {
          "word": "l'"
        },
        {
          "word": "-lo"
        },
        {
          "word": "il4"
        },
        {
          "word": "la"
        },
        {
          "word": "-la"
        },
        {
          "word": "Le"
        },
        {
          "word": "-Le"
        },
        {
          "word": "li"
        },
        {
          "word": "-li"
        },
        {
          "word": "le"
        },
        {
          "word": "-le"
        },
        {
          "word": "glie9"
        },
        {
          "word": "Loro10"
        },
        {
          "word": "10 gli"
        },
        {
          "word": "2 -gli"
        },
        {
          "word": "2 glie9"
        },
        {
          "word": "gli"
        },
        {
          "word": "-gli"
        },
        {
          "word": "2 -gli2"
        },
        {
          "word": "1 v'1"
        },
        {
          "word": "ne"
        },
        {
          "word": "n'"
        },
        {
          "word": "sé"
        },
        {
          "word": "me"
        },
        {
          "word": "te"
        },
        {
          "word": "esso8"
        },
        {
          "word": "essa8"
        },
        {
          "word": "essi8"
        }
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "Ella"
        },
        {
          "word": "Voi"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "alt-of",
        "formal",
        "polite"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈlɛ.i/"
    },
    {
      "homophone": "lei"
    },
    {
      "rhymes": "-ɛi"
    }
  ],
  "word": "Lei"
}
{
  "categories": [
    "Pages with 5 entries",
    "Pages with entries"
  ],
  "etymology_text": "The use of a word literally meaning \"she\" as a courtesy pronoun is apparently due to allocution with formulae such as \"la Vostra persona\" (Your person) being grammatically female. Although grammatically female, the courtesy pronoun can be used with grammatically masculine complements (e.g. \"Lei è coraggioso\", meaning \"You are brave.MASC\"). As for the enclitic forms of this pronoun, usage oscillates between keeping the uppercase (\"Vorrei comunicarLe\", I wish to tell you, sir) and aligning it to the rest of the word (\"Vorrei comunicarle\", I wish to tell you, sir)",
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "it",
        "2": "pronoun"
      },
      "expansion": "Lei",
      "name": "head"
    }
  ],
  "hyphenation": [
    "Lè‧i"
  ],
  "hyphenations": [
    {
      "parts": [
        "Lè‧i"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "lang": "Italian",
  "lang_code": "it",
  "pos": "pron",
  "related": [
    {
      "word": "io"
    },
    {
      "word": "tu"
    },
    {
      "word": "Ella8"
    },
    {
      "word": "lui"
    },
    {
      "word": "egli"
    },
    {
      "word": "8 ello"
    },
    {
      "word": "8 elli"
    },
    {
      "word": "3"
    },
    {
      "word": "8 esso8"
    },
    {
      "word": "lei"
    },
    {
      "word": "ella"
    },
    {
      "word": "8 essa8"
    },
    {
      "word": "noi"
    },
    {
      "word": "voi"
    },
    {
      "word": "Voi7"
    },
    {
      "word": "Loro"
    },
    {
      "word": "loro"
    },
    {
      "word": "elli"
    },
    {
      "word": "8 ellino"
    },
    {
      "word": "4"
    },
    {
      "word": "8 eglino"
    },
    {
      "word": "8 essi8"
    },
    {
      "word": "elle"
    },
    {
      "word": "8 elleno"
    },
    {
      "word": "8 esse8"
    },
    {
      "word": "mi"
    },
    {
      "word": "m'"
    },
    {
      "word": "-mi"
    },
    {
      "word": "me9"
    },
    {
      "word": "ti"
    },
    {
      "word": "t'"
    },
    {
      "word": "-ti"
    },
    {
      "word": "te9"
    },
    {
      "word": "―"
    },
    {
      "word": "si"
    },
    {
      "word": "6 s'"
    },
    {
      "word": "-si"
    },
    {
      "word": "se"
    },
    {
      "word": "9 ci13"
    },
    {
      "word": "ci"
    },
    {
      "word": "c'"
    },
    {
      "word": "-ci"
    },
    {
      "word": "ce"
    },
    {
      "word": "9 ne"
    },
    {
      "word": "4 n'4"
    },
    {
      "word": "vi"
    },
    {
      "word": "Vi"
    },
    {
      "word": "7 v'"
    },
    {
      "word": "V'"
    },
    {
      "word": "7 -vi"
    },
    {
      "word": "-Vi"
    },
    {
      "word": "7 ve9"
    },
    {
      "word": "s'"
    },
    {
      "word": "se9"
    },
    {
      "word": "La"
    },
    {
      "word": "-La"
    },
    {
      "word": "L'"
    },
    {
      "word": "lo"
    },
    {
      "word": "l'"
    },
    {
      "word": "-lo"
    },
    {
      "word": "il4"
    },
    {
      "word": "la"
    },
    {
      "word": "-la"
    },
    {
      "word": "Le"
    },
    {
      "word": "-Le"
    },
    {
      "word": "li"
    },
    {
      "word": "-li"
    },
    {
      "word": "le"
    },
    {
      "word": "-le"
    },
    {
      "word": "glie9"
    },
    {
      "word": "Loro10"
    },
    {
      "word": "10 gli"
    },
    {
      "word": "2 -gli"
    },
    {
      "word": "2 glie9"
    },
    {
      "word": "gli"
    },
    {
      "word": "-gli"
    },
    {
      "word": "2 -gli2"
    },
    {
      "word": "1 v'1"
    },
    {
      "word": "ne"
    },
    {
      "word": "n'"
    },
    {
      "word": "sé"
    },
    {
      "word": "me"
    },
    {
      "word": "te"
    },
    {
      "word": "esso8"
    },
    {
      "word": "essa8"
    },
    {
      "word": "essi8"
    }
  ],
  "senses": [
    {
      "alt_of": [
        {
          "extra": "you",
          "word": "lei"
        }
      ],
      "categories": [
        "Italian 2-syllable words",
        "Italian entries with incorrect language header",
        "Italian formal terms",
        "Italian lemmas",
        "Italian polite terms",
        "Italian pronouns",
        "Italian terms with IPA pronunciation",
        "Italian terms with homophones",
        "Pages with 5 entries",
        "Pages with entries",
        "Rhymes:Italian/ɛi",
        "Rhymes:Italian/ɛi/2 syllables"
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "alternative letter-case form of lei (“you”)"
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "lei",
          "lei#Italian"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(formal, polite) alternative letter-case form of lei (“you”)"
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "Ella"
        },
        {
          "word": "Voi"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "alt-of",
        "formal",
        "polite"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈlɛ.i/"
    },
    {
      "homophone": "lei"
    },
    {
      "rhymes": "-ɛi"
    }
  ],
  "word": "Lei"
}

Download raw JSONL data for Lei meaning in Italian (3.1kB)


This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable Italian dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2026-09-06 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2026-09-02 using wiktextract (ccec6f1 and 4deed51). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.