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Want to learn how to use indirect object pronouns in Spanish?
In this lesson, I will explain how you can easily form sentences
with these tricky pronouns,
and you will get to practice your skills with a fun quiz.
So stay tuned and don't forget to click the link below to check out
our free online Spanish classes.
Indirect object pronouns.
What is an indirect object?
These answer the question, "To Whom?" or "For Whom?"
Let's look at an example.
"I buy food for my dog." Yo compro comida para mi perro.
"Yo" is the subject, I.
The verb "comprar," to buy.
"Para mi perro," for my dog, "mi perro."
That is the indirect object.
We can replace the indirect object with an indirect object pronoun.
What are these indirect objects pronouns?
First person singular, me, "to me" or "for me."
La maestra me dio un 100 en la clase de español.
The teacher gave me a 100 in Spanish class.
First person plural, "Nos," "To us" or "For us."
La maestra nos dio un 100 en la clase de español.
The teacher gave us a 100 in Spanish class.
Second person singular, "Te" or "Le."
"Te" is informal, "Le" is formal.
"To you" or "For you."
Te doy mi bendición. "I give you my blessing," informal.
Le doy mi palabra. I give you my word, formal.
Second person plural, "Os" or "Les."
To you, guys or for you, guys. Os for vosotros, Les for ustedes.
¿Veis el regalo que os envié?
"Do you see the present I sent you, guys?"
Este es el regalo que les envié.
"This is the present I sent you, guys."
Third person singular, "le,"
"to him," "for him," "to her," "for her," "to it," "for it."
Le di una carta. "I gave him a letter."
I gave her a letter.
Third person plural, "les," "to them" or "for them."
Les di una carta. "I gave them a letter."
Something very important but easier to remember
is that none of these pronouns vary according to gender.
They do vary, however, in number.
Singular or plural pronouns such as, "me," "te," or "le" are singular.
While, "nos," "les," "os," all those are plural.
How do we know?
Look out for the "s"; "nos," "os," "les." There's the "s."
For formal "you," we use, "le."
"Le" doesn't have any gender.
It's non-gender specific;
meaning it's not masculine or feminine.
We can use it for talking to a gentleman or talking to a woman.
¿Le puedo ayudar? "Can I help you, sir?
Can I help you, ma'am?"
A really good verb example that we can conjugate
with the indirect object pronoun is the verb "to like," "gustar."
Let's take a look, me gusta el español. I like Spanish.
Te gusta el español.
You like Spanish.
Le gusta el español.
He likes Spanish.
Nos gusta el español.
We like Spanish.
Les gusta el español.
You guys like Spanish.
Os gusta el español, vosotros.
You guys like Spanish.
Les gusta el español. They like Spanish.
To say, "I don't like" or "I dislike," you would say,
"No me gusta,"
"No te gusta,"
"No le gusta,"
"No nos gusta,"
"No os gusta,"
o, "No les gusta."
Indirect object pronouns always go in front of the verb
and in front of the direct object.
Yo compro comida para mi perro. I buy food for my dog.
Yo le compro comida.
I buy him food. Yo le compro comida.
"Yo," is the subject.
"Le," is the indirect object.
"Compro," the verb, "comida," the direct object.
"Yo," is the subject.
"Le," is the indirect object.
"Compro," the verb, "comida," the direct object.
So when combining both direct object pronouns
and indirect object pronouns in a sentence,
the structure looks like this.
Indirect object pronoun, direct object pronoun, and then the verb.
Mi papá trajo comida para nosotros.
My dad brought food for us.
Mi papá nos la trajo.
My dad brought it for us.
"Nos" indirect object.
"La," direct object.
"Trajo," the verb.
"Nos" indirect object.
"La," direct object.
"Trajo," the verb.
Nos la trajo.
Let's take a look.
Yo compro comida para mi perro.
I buy food for my dog.
"I," the subject, "compro," the verb.
What do I buy? Comida, food, direct object.
For who or to whom?
Para mi perro, for my dog.
Let's do this in steps.
Direct object alone.
Yo la compro para mi perro,
yo la compro, la comida, yo la compro para mi perro.
I buy it for my dog.
Indirect object alone.
Yo le compro comida.
Yo le compro comida, to who?
To my dog, "Le,"
yo le compro comida.
I buy him food.
Now both together,
it's wrong to say, "Yo le, la, compro," what?
Wrong.
That's when it changes, yo se la compro,
I buy it for him, yo se la compro.
So if the indirect object is plural, this is how it works.
Yo compro comida para mis perros.
I buy for for my dogs.
Plural, yo se las compro.
I buy it for them, yo se las compro.
Mistakes are common,
and it's hard to combine direct objects
and indirect objects in a sentence,
but practice makes perfect, so let's take a quiz.
How do you use indirect objects pronouns in everyday conversation?
Leave a comment and share some examples with us,
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