Direct Object Pronouns in Spanish: A2 Grammar Guide

◄ Back to A2 Grammar Hub | Practice with Our Direct Object Pronouns Quiz ►

Key Takeaways

• Learn what direct object pronouns are and how to identify them in sentences
• Master the placement of direct object pronouns in different sentence structures
• Understand how to use me, te, lo, la, nos, os, los, las correctly
• Practice replacing nouns with pronouns to make your Spanish more natural
• Learn the rules for combining direct and indirect object pronouns

Replace Nouns and Sound More Natural

Direct object pronouns are essential for fluent Spanish. Instead of repeating nouns constantly, you can replace them with short words like “lo,” “la,” “los,” and “las.” This makes your speech flow better and sounds much more natural. Think of it as saying “it,” “him,” or “them” in English, but with more specific rules!

What are Direct Object Pronouns? (¿Qué Son los Pronombres de Objeto Directo?)

A direct object receives the action of the verb directly. The pronoun replaces that object.

Example:

• “I read the book.” → “I read it.”
• “Leo el libro.” → “Lo leo.”

The Direct Object Pronouns (Los Pronombres de Objeto Directo)

English	Spanish	Example Sentence	Translation
Me	me	Me ves.	You see me.
You (informal)	te	Te quiero.	I love you.
Him / It (masc)	lo	Lo compro.	I buy it.
Her / It (fem)	la	La como. (la manzana)	I eat it.
Us	nos	Nos invitan.	They invite us.
You all (Spain)	os	Os escuchamos.	We listen to you all.
Them (masc) / You all	los	Los conozco.	I know them.
Them (fem) / You all	las	Las leo. (las revistas)	I read them.

💡 Grammar Tip: Lo/La/Los/Las agree in gender and number with the noun they replace. “El libro” becomes “lo“, “la casa” becomes “la“, “los libros” becomes “los“, “las casas” becomes “las“.

Placement Rules (Reglas de Posición)

Where you put the pronoun depends on the sentence structure:

Before Conjugated Verbs:

• “Lo leo.” (I read it.)
• “La necesito.” (I need it.)
• “Los compramos.” (We buy them.)

Attached to Infinitives:

• “Voy a leerlo.” (I’m going to read it.)
• “Quiero comprarlas.” (I want to buy them.)
• “Puedo verlos.” (I can see them.)

Attached to Present Participles (-ndo):

• “Estoy leyendolo.” (I’m reading it.)
• “Están comprandolas.” (They are buying them.)

Attached to Affirmative Commands:

• “¡Cómprelo!” (Buy it!)
• “¡Léela!” (Read it!)

Before Negative Commands:

• “¡No lo compres!” (Don’t buy it!)
• “¡No la leas!” (Don’t read it!)

Identifying the Direct Object

To find the direct object, ask “What?” or “Whom?” after the verb:

• “I buy the book.” (Buy what? → The book = Direct Object)
• “She sees me.” (Sees whom? → Me = Direct Object)
• “We read the books.” (Read what? → The books = Direct Object)

Putting It All Together: Practical Examples

Without Pronouns:	With Pronouns:	Translation:
Compro el coche.	Lo compro.	I buy the car. / I buy it.
Como la manzana.	La como.	I eat the apple. / I eat it.
Veo a María.	La veo.	I see María. / I see her.
Leo los libros.	Los leo.	I read the books. / I read them.
Necesito las llaves.	Las necesito.	I need the keys. / I need them.

🔍 Grammar Focus: Notice “a María” becomes “la” not “le.” This is a common point of confusion. When the direct object is a person, we use “a” before the person, but the pronoun is still “lo/la.”

Common Mistakes to Avoid

1. Using “le” for direct objects: “Lo veo” (I see him), not “Le veo” for direct objects.
2. Wrong placement: Remember the rules for different verb forms.
3. Forgetting gender agreement: “El libro” → “lo”, “la casa” → “la”.
4. Not using “a” for people: “Veo a Juan” but then “Lo veo.”
5. Confusing with subject pronouns: “Yo” is “I” (subject), “me” is “me” (object).

Quick Reference Chart

Situation	Placement	Example
Conjugated verb	Before verb	Lo como.
Infinitive	Attached	Quiero comerlo.
Present participle	Attached	Estoy comiendolo.
Affirmative command	Attached	¡Cómelo!
Negative command	Before verb	No lo comas.

Practice Exercise: Replace with Pronouns

Replace the direct object with the correct pronoun:

1. Veo la televisión. → ______ veo.
2. Comemos las manzanas. → ______ comemos.
3. Necesito el dinero. → ______ necesito.
4. Ellos compran los regalos. → Ellos ______ compran.

Answers:

1. La veo.
2. Las comemos.
3. Lo necesito.
4. Los compran.

Ready to Practice?

Think you’ve mastered direct object pronouns? Test your ability to replace nouns and place pronouns correctly!

Take Our Direct Object Pronouns Quiz ►

---