Object pronouns
Lo, la, le, me, te: what they replace, and where they go.
Object pronouns stand for the person or thing a verb acts on. The direct object is what the action is done to; the indirect object is who it's given, told or done for.
| Direct | Indirect | |
|---|---|---|
| me | me | me |
| you (tú) | te | te |
| him, it (m.), you (usted, m.) | lo | le |
| her, it (f.), you (usted, f.) | la | le |
| us | nos | nos |
| you all (vosotros) | os | os |
| them, you all (m.) | los | les |
| them, you all (f.) | las | les |
Only "him, her, it, them" have separate direct and indirect forms.
- Do you see the house? —Yes, I see it.
- I love you.
- I'm writing him a letter.
- Will you give me your number?
Where they go
Object pronouns go before a conjugated verb, after no. They join the end of an infinitive, a -ndo form and a positive command. With a verb followed by an infinitive or -ndo form, they can go before both or join the second.
- I don't know.
- I'm going to buy it.
- I'm going to buy it.
- I'm reading it.
- Buy it!
A joined pronoun leaves the stress where it was, which can then be three syllables from the end and need an accent mark: compra, cómpralo; leyendo, leyéndolo.
Two pronouns: se lo
With two pronouns, the indirect one goes first: me lo, te la. le and les become se before lo, la, los and las.
- I promise you.
- Will you give it to me?
- I give it to Juan.
- I've already told him.
Le with the person named too
An indirect object pronoun usually stays even when the person is also named with a:
- I gave María the book.
- Have you written to your parents?
Cards from this guide
10 cardsEach card asks about one thing this guide teaches, and its back gives the answer with why and an example. They're reviewed with the rest of the Objects and prepositions cards.
Which pronoun replaces la casa as a direct object, as in 'I see it'?
la: La veo.
How do you say 'I don't know' with saber?
No lo sé.
Which pronoun means 'to him' or 'to her'?
le
Give two ways to say 'I'm going to buy it'.
Lo voy a comprar and Voy a comprarlo.
Where does the pronoun go in a positive command like 'buy it'?
Joined to the end: ¡Cómpralo!
With two pronouns, which comes first: the indirect or the direct?
The indirect: me lo, te la.
What does le become before lo, as in 'I give it to him'?
se: Se lo doy.
Why is there a le in Le di el libro a María?
The indirect object pronoun stays even when the person is named.
How do you say 'I love you' to someone?
Te quiero.
How do you say 'Can you help me?'
¿Me puedes ayudar? or ¿Puedes ayudarme?