Object pronouns are words like “me,” “him,” and “them” that replace nouns so you don’t repeat yourself. Spanish has two separate sets — direct and indirect — and when they appear together, things get interesting.
Direct Object Pronouns
The direct object is the person or thing directly receiving the action of the verb. “I see her.” “She bought it.”
| Person | Pronoun |
|---|---|
| me | me |
| you (informal) | te |
| him / it (m.) | lo |
| her / it (f.) | la |
| us | nos |
| you (vosotros) | os |
| them (m.) | los |
| them (f.) | las |
Examples
- ¿Ves a Juan? — Sí, lo veo. — Do you see Juan? — Yes, I see him.
- ¿Tienes la carta? — Sí, la tengo. — Do you have the letter? — Yes, I have it.
- Nos llamaron ayer. — They called us yesterday.
- ¿Los zapatos? Los compré en Madrid. — The shoes? I bought them in Madrid.
Indirect Object Pronouns
The indirect object is the person for whom or to whom something is done. “I gave her the book.” “He told me the truth.”
| Person | Pronoun |
|---|---|
| me | me |
| you (informal) | te |
| him / her / it | le |
| us | nos |
| you (vosotros) | os |
| them | les |
Examples
- Me dijo la verdad. — He told me the truth.
- Te compré un regalo. — I bought you a gift.
- ¿A tu madre? Le mandé un mensaje. — Your mother? I sent her a message.
- El médico nos explicó el diagnóstico. — The doctor explained the diagnosis to us.
Using Both Together
When direct and indirect pronouns appear in the same sentence, the indirect pronoun comes first:
Indirect + Direct + Verb (before conjugated verb) or Verb + Indirect + Direct (attached to infinitive/gerund)
- Me lo dio. — She gave it to me. (me = indirect, lo = direct)
- Te la mando mañana. — I’ll send it to you tomorrow.
- Nos lo explicaron. — They explained it to us.
Le/Les → Se before Lo/La/Los/Las
When both the indirect and direct pronoun start with l-, Spanish replaces le/les with se:
- Le di el libro. → Se lo di. — I gave it to him/her. (NOT le lo)
- Les mando las fotos. → Se las mando. — I’m sending them the photos. (NOT les las)
This se is not reflexive — it’s just a sound change to avoid le lo / les los.
Practice the verbs most commonly used with object pronouns.
Hablito drills verb conjugations across all tenses until they become automatic — free, no account needed.
Where to Place Pronouns
Before conjugated verbs
In most sentences, object pronouns go directly before the conjugated verb:
- Lo compro. — I buy it.
- No te llamo hoy. — I won’t call you today.
Attached to infinitives and gerunds
With infinitives and gerunds, pronouns can either go before the conjugated verb or be attached to the end:
- Voy a comprarlo. = Lo voy a comprar. — I’m going to buy it.
- Estoy llamándote. = Te estoy llamando. — I’m calling you.
Both are correct — attaching to the end is slightly more emphatic.
Attached to affirmative commands
With affirmative imperatives, pronouns must be attached to the end:
- ¡Dímelo! — Tell it to me!
- ¡Cómpralo! — Buy it!
- ¡Dáselo! — Give it to him/her!
Note that attaching pronouns to commands often requires an added accent mark to preserve the original stress.
Quick Reference
| Direct | Indirect | |
|---|---|---|
| me | me | me |
| you (informal) | te | te |
| him/it (m.) | lo | — |
| her/it (f.) | la | — |
| him/her/it | — | le → se (before lo/la) |
| us | nos | nos |
| them (m.) | los | — |
| them (f.) | las | — |
| them | — | les → se (before lo/la) |
Order: Indirect + Direct (both before verb, or both attached after)
Practice the verbs that trigger object pronouns most often.
Hablito drills verb conjugations across all tenses until they become automatic — free, no account needed.