Object Pronouns in Spanish
Introduction
In Spanish, object pronouns are used to replace nouns that function as direct or indirect objects in a sentence. This helps in making sentences more concise and avoiding repetition.
Object Pronouns
Direct Object Pronouns
Direct object pronouns receive the action of the verb directly. They answer the question “what?” or “whom?” after the verb.
| Pronoun | English | Example |
|---|---|---|
| me | me | Ella me vio. (She saw me.) |
| te | you (informal) | Yo te llamé. (I called you.) |
| lo | him/it (masculine) | Él lo tiene. (He has it.) |
| la | her/it (feminine) | Ella la compró. (She bought it.) |
| nos | us | Ellos nos ayudaron. (They helped us.) |
| os | you (plural, informal) | Vosotros os conocéis. (You know each other.) |
| los | them (masculine) | Yo los vi. (I saw them.) |
| las | them (feminine) | Ella las invitó. (She invited them.) |
Indirect Object Pronouns
Indirect object pronouns indicate to whom or for whom the action of the verb is done. They answer the question “to whom?” or “for whom?”
| Pronoun | English | Example |
|---|---|---|
| me | me | Él me dio un regalo. (He gave me a gift.) |
| te | you (informal) | Yo te envié una carta. (I sent you a letter.) |
| le | him/her/you (formal) | Ella le habló. (She spoke to him/her.) |
| nos | us | Ellos nos contaron la historia. (They told us the story.) |
| os | you (plural, informal) | Os traje comida. (I brought you food.) |
| les | them/you (plural) | Yo les envié un mensaje. (I sent them a message.) |
Placement of Object Pronouns
- Before the conjugated verb:
- Attached to an infinitive:
- Attached to a gerund (present participle):
- Attached to an affirmative command:
Examples of Direct and Indirect Object Pronouns
- Direct Object Pronoun Example:
- Indirect Object Pronoun Example:
- Combined Direct and Indirect Object Pronouns:
Summary
- Use direct object pronouns to replace the noun directly receiving the action.
- Use indirect object pronouns to replace the noun indicating to whom or for whom the action is done.
- Object pronouns typically appear before the conjugated verb or attached to an infinitive, gerund, or affirmative command.