Object pronouns: lo, la, le
Object pronouns replace nouns: direct objects answer “what / whom?”, indirect objects answer “to / for whom?”. They go before the conjugated verb.
| direct (whom / what) | indirect (to whom) | |
|---|---|---|
| me | me | me |
| you (tú) | te | te |
| him / it (m.), you (Ud.) | lo | le |
| her / it (f.), you (Ud.) | la | le |
| us | nos | nos |
| you all (vosotros) | os | os |
| them, you (Uds.) | los / las | les |
Position
- Before a conjugated verb: Lo compro. Le escribo.
- Attached to an infinitive, gerund or positive command: Quiero comprarlo. Estoy escribiéndole. ¡Cómpralo!
- With two verbs, either position: Lo voy a comprar = Voy a comprarlo.
Repeating the indirect object
Spanish often uses le even when the person is named: Le doy el libro a María. It sounds natural, not redundant.
Examples
- ¿Tienes las llaves? — Sí, las tengo.Do you have the keys? Yes, I have them.
- Te llamo mañana.I’ll call you tomorrow.
- Les he enviado un mensaje.I’ve sent them a message.
- ¿El café? Prefiero tomarlo sin azúcar.The coffee? I prefer to drink it without sugar.
- ¿Has visto a Marta? — Sí, la vi ayer.Have you seen Marta? — Yes, I saw her yesterday.
Common mistakes
- ✗ Veo lo.✓ Lo veo.Object pronouns come before the conjugated verb. English puts “it” after: “I see it”.
- ✗ Doy le el libro.✓ Le doy el libro.The pronoun goes before the conjugated verb. English puts the object after the verb: “I give him”.
- ✗ Quiero lo ver.✓ Quiero verlo.With an infinitive the pronoun is attached to the end of it: verlo. Spanish never puts it in between.
- ✗ Lo doy un libro a Ana.✓ Le doy un libro a Ana.Le is used for the person who receives. Lo is a direct-object pronoun for the thing, which the English “him” and “it” do not distinguish.
- ✗ Los veo a María.✓ La veo a María.The pronoun agrees with the person: María is singular and feminine, so la, not los.