Related Resources • Printer-friendly version of this page • Indirect-Object Pronouns • Formal and Informal "You" • What's the Object (lesson on direct and indirect objects) • Gender • Leísmo (more on the use of le as a direct object) • Index of Spanish for Beginners • Spanish Language: An Online Course • Home

If you're learning Spanish, the distinction can be important to make because Spanish, unlike English, sometimes uses different pronouns for direct and indirect objects.

Here are the direct-object pronouns along with examples of their uses:

Note that lo, la, los and las can refer to either people or things. If they are referring to things, use the same gender as the name of the object being referred to. Example: Tengo dos boletos. ¿Los quieres? (I have two tickets. Do you want them?) But, Tengo dos rosas. ¿Las quieres? (I have two roses. Do you want them?)

As you can see from the above examples, the location of a direct-object pronoun can vary. In most cases, it can be placed before the verb. Alternatively, it can be attached to an infinitive (the form of the verb that ends in -ar, -er or -ir) or a present participle (the form of the verb that ends in -ndo, often the equivalent of English verbs that end in "-ing"). Each sentence in the following pairs has the same meaning: No lo puedo ver, and no puedo verlo (I can't see him). Te estoy ayudando, and estoy ayudándote (I am helping you). Note that when the direct object is added to present participle, it is necessary to add an accent so that the stress is on the proper syllable.

Direct-object pronouns follow affirmative commands (telling someone to do something) but precede negative commands (telling someone not to do something): estúdialo (look at it), but no lo estudies (don't study it). Note again that an accent needs to be added when adding the object to the end of positive commands.

Le as a direct object: In some parts of Spain, le can substitute for lo as a direct object when it means "him" but not "it." Less commonly in some areas, les can substitute for los when referring to people.

Final note: There are a few verbs that are accompanied by indirect objects even though their English equivalents would use a direct object in the same way. Further discussion of them is beyond the scope of this lesson; those verbs typically are learned as they are introduced.