How to use direct and indirect object pronouns in Spanish?

If you’re starting sentences like “Yo pregunto ella” to say “I ask her,” stop everything you're doing and read this post!

We get it, this topic can be super confusing in Spanish, all because of those tiny (but powerful!) little words: pronouns.

In Spanish, we really love our pronouns. Some may look the same, but they’re used for different purposes. For example, we have reflexive pronouns (that’s a topic for another article!). But today, we’re focusing on two important types: direct and indirect object pronouns.

Let’s start by clarifying what is a direct and indirect object.

First, What’s a Direct Object?

The direct object is the thing that receives the action of the verb.

Ask yourself:

What? or Whom? After the verb.

Example:

• Claudia lee un libro (Claudia reads a book)
• Claudia lee qué? → un libro (A book)
• “Libro” is the direct object because it's what is being read.

Another one:

• Él patió la pelota (He kicked te ball)
• Qué patió? → La pelota (The ball)
• “La pelota” is the direct object - it gets kicked!

Now, What’s an Indirect Object?

The indirect object is the person or thing that gets the direct object or benefits from the action.

Ask:

To whom? or For whom? is the action done?

Example:

• Ella le dió un regalo a su amigo (She gave her friend a gift).
• She gave what? → Un regalo (a gift) (direct object)
• To whom? → su amiga (her friend)
• “Su amigo” is the indirect object- the one receiving the gift.

Another one:

• Yo, le hice un sandwich a mi hermano. (I made my brother a sandwich). Yo hice qué? → Un sandwich (direct object)
• For whom? → Mi hermano (my brother)
• “Mi hermanor” is the indirect object- the lucky one getting food!

A Handy Way to Remember

Think of it like this:

• The direct object is what the action is done to.
• The indirect object is who gets that thing or who it’s done for.

Now that we know how to identify them, let’s see how we use the pronouns.

The pronouns are used when we want to avoid the repetition of an object. For example:

Let’s say I already mentioned the sandwich I was going to make for my brother. If I want to keep talking about it I would need to use the pronoun to replace the noun.

• Yo hago un sandwich- I make a sandwich
  
• Yo lo hago - I make it.
  
• You see how lo replaces the sandwich.
  
• We can do the same thing with the Indirect object.
  
• Yo hago un sandwich a mi hermano
  
• Yo le hago un sandwich

You see how le is replacing Hermano.

Ok, but why Lo and then, Le? Great question, my friend

We use different pronouns depending on what object we are replacing:

Direct Object Pronouns:

• Me  for Yo
• Te for Tú
• Lo/Los for a singular or plural masculine third-person
• La/Las for a singular or plural feminine third-person
• Nos - we

They must coincide in number (plural, singular) and gender (masculine, feminine) with the object.

Indirect Object Pronouns:

• Me - Yo
• Te - Tú
• Le/Les - singular or plural masculine/ feminine third-person
• Nos - we

Now that we know all this information. How can we place the pronouns in a sentence?

Well, we have some placement rules:

In Spanish, indirect object pronouns usually come before the conjugated verb.

For example: 

• Ella compra una rosa para su novia – Ella le compra una rosa, le is the indirect object pronoun and goes right before compra.

Now, direct object pronouns also come before the conjugated verb.

For example: 

• Ella compra una rosa para su novia - Ella la compra para su novia, la is the direct object pronoun placed before compra.

However, when there’s an infinitive or an ING verb (like hablar or hablando), both types of pronouns can either go before the conjugated verb or be attached to the end of the infinitive or gerund (ING verb).

For example: 

• Voy a comprarte una rosa or Te voy a comprar una rosa (I’m going to buy a rose).  Both are correct and we don’t have any preference in their use.

Now, what if you want to replace both the indirect and direct objects in a sentence? Good news, you can! But there’s a special rule to follow.

Rule: Indirect comes before Direct

When using both pronouns together, the indirect object pronoun always comes first, followed by the direct object pronoun.

Let’s look at this sentence:

• Yo voy a comprar una rosa para mi novia.
  (I’m going to buy a rose for my girlfriend.)

Now let’s replace:

• Una rosa – la (direct object)
• para mi novia –- le (indirect object)

So we try:

• Yo le la voy a comprar.
  Hmm… le la? That sounds a little awkward, right?

That’s why Spanish has a fix!

When le or les is followed by lo, la, los, or las, we change le/les to se to make it easier to say and smoother to hear.

So the correct sentence is:

• Yo se la voy a comprar.
  (I’m going to buy it for her.)

This small change helps the sentence flow better and avoids the clunky sound of le la, le lo, etc.

Now, here’s something else that surprises many learners: Some verbs require an indirect object pronoun even if you already say the person’s name in the sentence. You're not replacing the name, the pronoun is just needed to make the sentence complete.

Let’s look at a good example:

• Dar – to give.

This verb usually involves giving something to someone, right? So we need an indirect object to show who is receiving the thing.

• Yo le doy un regalo a María.
  (I give a gift to María.)

You might wonder: Why do I need to say “le” if I already mentioned María?

Well, in Spanish, that’s just how it works, the sentence would sound incomplete or awkward without the pronoun. The “le” isn’t optional here; it’s part of how the sentence is built, almost like a supporting piece that keeps everything balanced.

So, when you use verbs like dar, don’t forget to include the indirect object pronoun, even if the person's name is already in the sentence!

It’s a pretty big topic, isn’t it? I hope this explanation has helped you! In the beginning, it might take some time to remember which pronoun to use correctly, but with practice, you'll start to notice when something sounds off,  and you'll fix it naturally.

Have you struggled with this topic? Or have you already mastered it?

Please let us know how you did,  you might help another student by sharing your experience!

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