Object pronouns

Direct object pronounsIndirect object pronouns

Parts of a sentence

• Subject:– Who or what is doing the action (this is who you

conjugate for)• Verb:– The action

• Object:– Who or what is receiving the action.

Subjects are often replaced by pronouns (subject pronouns)

• Ex:Alex and I drive a car to school.Who/what is “driving a car to school”?

Alex and I= weWe is the subject pronoun that would replace

the subject “Alex and I”We drive a car to school.

The subject pronouns that replace the subjects are:

yo nosotros(as)

tú vosotros(as)

élella

usted

ellos(as)ustedes

=

I we

you(informal)

you guys(Spain)

he/sheyou(formal)

theyyou guys

Objects are also often replaced by pronouns (object pronouns)

• Ex:Alex and I drive a car to school.Who/what is being “driven”?

“a car”= it“it” is the object pronoun that would replace the

object “a car”Alex and I drive it to school.

The object pronouns that replace the objects are:

me nos

te os

lo,la(le)

los, las(les)

=

me(to me/for

me)

us(to us/for us)

you(informal)(to you/for

you)

You guys(Spain)

(to you guys/for you guys)

he/sheyou(formal)

(To him/herFor him/her

To you(formal)For you (formal))

theyyou guys

(to them, for them, to you guys, for you

guys)

Before using an object pronoun you must:

Identify the object(s)• Ask yourself two questions(BOTH):1. Who/What is being ___(verb)____ed?

(who/what is receiving the action?) 2. To who/For who is the __(answer to #1)__

being ____(verb)____ed?

* Number 1 tells you the direct object and number 2 tells you the indirect object.

If: *If your answer to question #2 is “no one ” then your

choice of pronouns become limited to and now you just

decide which box represents your answer to question #1 (the direct object).

however

If you choose either of these boxes also ask yourselfif it represents something masc. or fem.

me noste os

lo,la los, las

(lo/los = masculine, la/las = feminine)

Ex:

Alex and I drive a car to school1. Who or what is being __driven__?

-“a car”

2. To who/For who is the _car_ being __driven__?-no one

The box that represents “a car” would be

Is “car” masculine or feminine?Car=carro=masculine= lo

If:

• If you DID get an answer for question #2 then you have to find a pronoun for the answer to question #1 (direct object) FIRST and then another one for the answer to # 2 (indirect object)

Ex:I always buy flowers for my mom.1. Who or what is being __bought__?

-“flowers”

2. To who/For who are the _flowers_ being __bought__?

- “my mom”Step 1: The box that represents “flowers” would be

Is “flowers” masculine or feminine?Flower=flor=feminine= las

Step 2: The box that represents “my mom” would be “for her”

= le

After you identify the object(s) and have chosen pronoun(s) to replace them you can put them in a sentence.

* The answer to question #1 (the direct object) goes DIRECTLY BEFORE THE CONJUGATED VERB.

*The answer to question #2 (if you have one)(the indirect object) will then go DIRECTLY BEFORE THE DIRECT OBJECT PRONOUN:

……… #2 #1 conjugated verb…….

• If you have an infinitive somewhere in your sentence you can also attach both pronouns to the infinitive and the order is different. It would be :

………… infinitive#2 #1………… (attached)• If you have an –ing word (-ando/-iendo in Spanish) somewhere

in your sentence you can also attach both pronouns to the –ing word and the order is different. It would be:

………… -ando/-iendo #2 #1………… (attached)

Ex:• Alex and I drive a car to school

1. Car= lo2. No one= Alex y yo siempre lo manejamos a la escuela.

answer to #1 conjugated verb

• I always buy flowers for my mom.1. Flowers = las2. My mom = le=Yo siempre *le las compro. = Yo siempre se las compro.

answer to #2 answer to #1 conjugated verb

Important notes:* “le & les” will ONLY be used if you get an answer to #2, the rest

of the pronouns can be used for both #1 and #2

*if your sentence has any of these combinations the “le/les” changes to “se”– le lo = se lo– le la = se la– le los =se los– le las = se las– les lo =se lo– les la = se la– les los = se los– les las = se las

Important notes cont.

• You can choose not to use a pronoun to replace the answer to #1 and just leave it as it is: Yo siempre le compro flores.

• You can also choose not to use a pronoun to replace the answer to #2 and just leave it as it is: Yo siempre las compro para mi mamá.

If you see :Para miPara tiPara él (or a name)Para ella (or a name)Para Ud. Para nosotros(as)Para ellos(as) (or names)Para Uds.

A miA tiA él (or a name)A ella (or a name)A Ud. A nosotros(as)A ellos(as) (or names)A Uds.

or

Then you know you will have an answer to #2 and that you will choose me, te, le, nos, os, or les as your pronoun

The following verbs are commonly used with an indirect object: (you will probably have an answer to question

#2 and will use either me, te, le, nos, os, or les to replace it)

• Decir- to say/tell• Mandar- to send/to command• Traer- to bring• Enviar- to send• Llevar-to take/to carry• Tirar- to throw• Dar- to give• Responder- to respond• Leer- to read• Hacer- to do/to make• Comprar- to buy• Regalar- to give (as a gift)• Abrir- to open• Cerrar- to close• Pedir – to ask for/request• Preguntar- to ask (a question)