What Are Object Pronouns?
If you’ve ever wondered:
- “Why do Spanish speakers say ‘lo vi’ instead of ‘vi él’?”
- “What’s the difference between ‘le’ and ‘lo’?”
You’re not alone! Object pronouns (like me, te, lo, la, le, nos, os, les) replace nouns to avoid repetition and sound more natural.
Think of them as shortcuts: instead of saying “I see María” every time, you’d say “La veo” (“I see her”). But how do you know whether to use lo, la, le, or les? And what’s the deal with direct vs. indirect objects?
In this guide, you’ll master:
✅ Direct vs. indirect objects—clearly explained with real examples.
✅ Where to place pronouns (before the verb? Attached to infinitives?).
✅ Common mistakes (like mixing up le and lo).
Part 1: Direct Object Pronouns in Spanish
Replace the noun that directly receives the action of the verb.
What Are Direct Object Pronouns?
Direct object pronouns (pronombres de objeto directo) replace the noun that directly receives the action of the verb—no prepositions needed.
🔹 Example:
- “Leo el libro.” (I read the book.) → “Lo leo.” (I read it.)
(Here, “el libro” is the direct object, replaced by “lo.”)
The Direct Object Pronouns Chart
| Pronoun | English Equivalent | Example (Spanish → English) |
|---|---|---|
| me | me | “Ella me ve.” → “She sees me.”* |
| te | you (informal) | “Te llamo.” → “I call you.”* |
| lo | him, it (masc.), you (formal, masc.) | “Lo compro.” → “I buy it/him.”* |
| la | her, it (fem.), you (formal, fem.) | “La escucho.” → “I listen to her/it.”* |
| nos | us | “Ellos nos invitan.” → “They invite us.”* |
| os | you all (Spain, informal) | “Os ayudo.” → “I help you all.”* |
| los | them (masc./mixed), you all (formal) | “Los conozco.” → “I know them/you all.”* |
| las | them (fem.), you all (fem., formal) | “Las prefiero.” → “I prefer them/you all.”* |
Key Rules & Placement
1️⃣ Before the conjugated verb:
- “Te quiero.” (I love you.)
- “Los necesito.” (I need them.)
2️⃣ Attached to infinitives/gerunds:
- “Voy a comprarlo.” (I’m going to buy it.)
- “Estoy leyéndolo.” (I’m reading it.)
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Don’t confuse lo/la (direct) with le (indirect):
- ❌ “Le veo” (incorrect if replacing “him/her”) → ✔ “Lo/la veo.”
- Don’t forget gender/number agreement:
- “La carta → La leo.” (not “lo”).
Part 2: Indirect Object Pronouns in Spanish
What Are Indirect Object Pronouns?
Indirect object pronouns (pronombres de objeto indirecto) replace the noun that indirectly receives the action—usually answering “to/for whom?” or “to/for what?” the action is done.
🔹 Example:
- “Doy el regalo a María.” (I give the gift to María.)
→ “Le doy el regalo.” (I give her the gift.)
(Here, “a María” is the indirect object, replaced by “le.”)
The Indirect Object Pronouns Chart
| Pronoun | English Equivalent | Example (Spanish → English) |
|---|---|---|
| me | (to/for) me | “Ella me dio el libro.” → “She gave the book to me.”* |
| te | (to/for) you (informal) | “Te compré un café.” → “I bought you a coffee.”* |
| le | (to/for) him/her/you (formal) | “Le escribí una carta.” → “I wrote him/her/you a letter.”* |
| nos | (to/for) us | “Ellos nos enviaron un paquete.” → “They sent us a package.”* |
| os | (to/for) you all (Spain, informal) | “Os cociné la cena.” → “I cooked dinner for you all.”* |
| les | (to/for) them/you all (formal) | “Les dije la verdad.” → “I told them/you all the truth.”* |
Key Rules & Placement
1️⃣ Same placement as direct object pronouns:
- Before conjugated verbs: “Le di el libro.” (I gave him/her the book.)
- Attached to infinitives/gerunds: “Voy a decirle.” (I’m going to tell him/her.)
2️⃣ Use “a + [noun]” for clarity (optional but common):
- “Le di el libro a Juan.” (I gave the book to Juan.)
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Don’t confuse le/les (indirect) with lo/la/los/las (direct):
- ❌ “Lo di el libro.” → ✔ “Le di el libro.” (I gave him the book.)
- Use “se” instead of “le/les” when combined with lo/la/los/las:
- “Le lo di” → ❌ → ✔ “Se lo di.” (I gave it to him.)
Key Rules
- Often used with verbs like:dar (give), decir (tell), enviar (send), mostrar (show).
- “Le compré flores.” (I bought flowers for her.)
- Combine with direct objects: Use se instead of le/les when both appear:
- “Se lo di.” (I gave it to him.) [Not “le lo di”]
Part 3: Double Object Pronouns in Spanish
What Are Double Object Pronouns?
When a sentence has both a direct and an indirect object pronoun, they are used together in a specific order:
🔹 Example:
- “Doy el libro (direct) a María (indirect).”
→ “Lo (direct) le (indirect) doy.” → “Se lo doy.” (I give it to her.)
The Golden Rules
1️⃣ Order: Indirect (to whom?) → Direct (what?)
- “Te (indirect) lo (direct) envío.” (I send it to you.)
2️⃣ “Le/Les” → “Se” when combined with “lo/la/los/las”:
- ❌ “Le lo doy” → ✔ “Se lo doy.” (I give it to him/her.)
(This avoids the awkward “le lo” sound!)
3️⃣ Placement: Same as single pronouns—before conjugated verbs or attached to infinitives/gerunds:
- “Voy a decírtelo.” (I’m going to tell it to you.)
- “Te lo estoy diciendo.” (I’m telling it to you.)
Examples in Action
| Sentence | Double Pronouns | English |
|---|---|---|
| “Compro flores (d.o.) para ti (i.o.).” | “Te las compro.” | “I buy them for you.” |
| “Explico la lección (d.o.) a ellos (i.o.).” | “Se la explico.” | “I explain it to them.” |
| “Presta el dinero (d.o.) a mí (i.o.).” | “Me lo presta.” | “He lends it to me.” |
Common Mistakes
- Wrong order: ❌ “Lo te doy” → ✔ “Te lo doy.”
- Forgot “se” rule: ❌ “Le la envié” → ✔ “Se la envié.” (I sent it to her.)
Part 4: Common Mistakes & How to Avoid Them
- Leísmo vs. Loísmo:
- In some regions, le replaces lo (e.g., “Le vi” instead of “Lo vi” for “I saw him”). Stick to standard usage on tests!
- Placement errors:
- ❌ “Quiero lo comer.” → ✅ “Quiero comerlo.”
- Forgetting “se”:
- ❌ “Le lo di.” → ✅ “Se lo di.”
Examples with Explanations
Direct Object Pronouns
- “¿Ves el libro? → ¿Lo ves?”
(Do you see the book? → Do you see it?)- Explanation: “El libro” (masculine singular) is replaced by “lo.”
- “Como las manzanas → Las como.”
(I eat the apples → I eat them.)- Explanation: “Las manzanas” (feminine plural) becomes “las.”
- “María besó a Juan → María lo besó.”
(María kissed Juan → María kissed him.)- Explanation: “A Juan” (male person) is replaced by “lo.”
- “Necesito comprar los boletos → Necesito comprarlos.”
(I need to buy the tickets → I need to buy them.)- Explanation: Attach “los” to the infinitive “comprar.”
Indirect Object Pronouns
- “Doy el regalo a mi madre → Le doy el regalo.”
(I give the gift to my mother → I give her the gift.)- Explanation: “A mi madre” (recipient) is replaced by “le.”
- “Ella escribe una carta a nosotros → Ella nos escribe una carta.”
(She writes a letter to us → She writes us a letter.)- Explanation: “A nosotros” becomes “nos.”
- “Voy a explicar la lección a los estudiantes → Les voy a explicar la lección.”
(I’ll explain the lesson to the students → I’ll explain it to them.)- Explanation: “A los estudiantes” → “les,” placed before the conjugated verb.
Combined Direct + Indirect Objects
- “Mando el paquete a ti → Te lo mando.”
(I send the package to you → I send it to you.)- Explanation:
- “El paquete” (direct) → “lo”
- “A ti” (indirect) → “te”
- Explanation:
- “Dijo la verdad a mí → Me la dijo.”
(He told the truth to me → He told it to me.)- Explanation:
- “La verdad” (feminine direct) → “la”
- “A mí” (indirect) → “me”
- Explanation:
- “No puedes dar el dinero a ellos → No se lo puedes dar.”
(You can’t give the money to them → You can’t give it to them.)
- Explanation:
- “Le/Les” changes to “se” when combined with “lo/la/los/las.”
Common Pitfalls & Fixes
❌ Error: “Le lo dije.” (Incorrect combination)
✅ Fix: “Se lo dije.” (I told it to him/her.)
❌ Error: “Voy a lo comprar.” (Wrong placement)
✅ Fix: “Voy a comprarlo.” (I’m going to buy it.)
❌ Error: “La gusta el café.” (Misused indirect object)
✅ Fix: “Le gusta el café.” (The coffee pleases her.)
Now are You Ready for the Quizzes? Click for Basic, Intermediate and advanced test to practice or test your skills on Direct & Indirect Object Pronouns in Spanish!
