DELE B1 Double Object Pronouns: Practice Test & Review
Double object pronouns are one of the most tested points on the DELE B1 exam. They appear in reading passages with indirect and direct objects together, and in listening sections where speakers replace nouns with pronouns. If you can’t turn “Doy el libro a María” into “Se lo doy,” you’ll lose points.
This page gives you a five-part practice quiz: an evaluation set to see where you stand, three practice sets to drill the forms and order, and a challenge set to confirm mastery. If you get stuck, scroll down for the full explanation. Ready? Start with the evaluation set below.
Grammar Guide
The Rule
Double object pronouns replace both the indirect object (to whom / for whom) and the direct object (what) in a sentence. When both appear together, the indirect pronoun always comes first, and le / les change to se before lo, la, los, or las.
The order is always: indirect pronoun + direct pronoun + verb.
The Pronouns
| Person | Indirect | Direct |
|---|---|---|
| yo | me | me |
| tú | te | te |
| él / ella / usted | le | lo / la |
| nosotros | nos | nos |
| vosotros | os | os |
| ellos / ellas / ustedes | les | los / las |
The first and second person forms are identical for indirect and direct. Context tells you which is which.
The le / les → se Rule
When le or les appears before lo, la, los, or las, it changes to se. This happens for pronunciation reasons — “le lo” and “les los” are hard to say.
| Combination | Result | Example |
|---|---|---|
| le + lo | se lo | Se lo doy. (I give it to him.) |
| le + la | se la | Se la doy. (I give it to her.) |
| le + los | se los | Se los doy. (I give them to him.) |
| le + las | se las | Se las doy. (I give them to her.) |
| les + lo | se lo | Se lo doy. (I give it to them.) |
| les + la | se la | Se la doy. (I give it to them.) |
| les + los | se los | Se los doy. (I give them to them.) |
| les + las | se las | Se las doy. (I give them to them.) |
Se lo, se la, se los, and se las can mean “to him,” “to her,” “to them,” or “to you (formal).” Context or a clarifying phrase (a él, a ella, a ellos) tells you which.
Position with the Verb
| Structure | Rule | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Simple tense | Pronouns before the verb | Se lo doy. |
| Compound tense (haber + participle) | Pronouns before the auxiliary | Se lo he dado. |
| Progressive (estar + gerund) | Before the auxiliary, or attached to the gerund | Se lo estoy dando. / Estoy dándoselo. |
| Infinitive (ir a, querer, poder) | Before the conjugated verb, or attached to the infinitive | Se lo quiero dar. / Quiero dárselo. |
| Affirmative command | Attached to the command | Dímelo. |
| Negative command | Before the verb | No me lo digas. |
The two options with infinitives and gerunds are both correct. Attaching is more common in speech; placing before is more common in writing.
Common Mistakes
- Keeping le or les before lo, la, los, las.
✗ Le lo doy.
✓ Se lo doy.
Le and les change to se before a direct object pronoun. - Putting the direct object before the indirect.
✗ Lo me da.
✓ Me lo da.
The indirect pronoun always comes first. - Attaching pronouns to a negative command.
✗ No dímelo.
✓ No me lo digas.
Pronouns come before the verb in negative commands. - Forgetting the accent when attaching pronouns to an infinitive or gerund.
✗ Quiero darselo.
✓ Quiero dárselo.
The accent falls on the vowel before the attached pronouns: dárselo, comprárselas, enviándonosla.
Quick Decision Chart
| Ask yourself | Answer | Form |
|---|---|---|
| Are there two object pronouns? | Yes | Indirect + direct + verb |
| Is the indirect pronoun le or les? | Yes | Change it to se before lo, la, los, las |
| Is the sentence a negative command? | Yes | Pronouns before the verb |
| Is the sentence an affirmative command? | Yes | Pronouns attached to the command |
| Is there an infinitive or gerund? | Yes | Attach, or place before the conjugated verb |
| Did you attach pronouns to an infinitive or gerund? | Yes | Add an accent on the stressed vowel |
Two Sentences That Show the Difference
Doy el libro a María.
I give the book to María.
- Indirect object (a María) + direct object (el libro) written as nouns.
Se lo doy.
I give it to her.
- Indirect pronoun (se, replacing le/a María) + direct pronoun (lo, replacing el libro).
Quiero dar el libro a María.
I want to give the book to María.
- Infinitive with both objects written as nouns.
Quiero dárselo.
I want to give it to her.
- Attached pronouns + accent on the infinitive.
