Direct Object Pronouns in Spanish

DIRECT OBJECT PRONOUNS IN SPANISH

SUBJECTS

Subjects state who (or what) is doing the action:

The students returned the book to the teacher.

Enrique and I gave the photos to our parents.

SUBJECT PRONOUNS

Subject pronouns take the place of longer subjects:

They returned the book to the teacher.

We gave the photos to our parents.

OBJECTS

Objects are people or things being acted upon (or indirectly affected):

They returned the book to the teacher.

We gave the photos to our parents.

DIRECT OBJECTS

Direct objects answer “what?” or “whom?” the verb is acting upon:

They returned the book to the teacher.

We gave the photos to our parents.

DIRECT OBJECT PRONOUNS (DOPS)

DOPs are shorter words which replace longer direct objects:

They returned it to the teacher.

We gave them to our parents.

DOPS IN ENGLISHDirect Object Pronouns in English:

me us

you you

him, her, it them

DOPS IN SPANISHDirect Object Pronouns in English:

me nos

te os

lo, la los, las

USING DOPS IN SPANISH

DOPS agree in person, number, & gender:

you te

us nos

the book lo

the photos las

USING DOPS IN SPANISH

DOPs come in front of the verb:

Ellos devolvieron el libro a la maestro

Ellos lo devolvieron a la maestro.

USING DOPS IN SPANISH

Another example:

Nosotros dimos las fotos a nuestros padres.

Nosotros las dimos a nuestros padres.

USING DOPS IN SPANISH

And another example:

Ella mandó la carta a su hijo.

Ella la mandó a su hijo.

PRACTICE: REPLACE THE DOS WITHDOPS:

Julia hizo el pastel.

Mateo mandó las cartas.

Eva sirvió la cena.

Miguel prestó los lápices.

¿Dio Yessica los juguetes?

Mi tío dijo la historia.

Pepe dio el libro.

ANSWERS

Julia lo hizo.

Mateo las mandó.

Eva la sirvió.

Miguel los prestó.

¿Los dio Yessica?

Mi tío la dijo.

Pepe lo dio.

ALTERNATIVE PLACEMENT

Objects may be attached to infintives:

No lo quiero comparar.

or

No quiero comprarlo.

ALTERNATIVE PLACEMENT

Objects may be attached to present participles:

Lo estoy comprando.

or

Estoy comprándolo.

ALTERNATIVE PLACEMENT

Objects must be attached to affirmative commands:

¡Cómpralo!

¡OJO!

Don’t confuse nos and nosotros:

Nos entiendes.

¡OJO!

Lo and la are object pronouns, not subject pronouns:

No: La es muy bonita.

Yes: Es muy bonita.

SOURCE

Fortna, Steve. ‘Direct Object Pronouns in Spanish’. Spanish411. Spanish411.net, n.d. Web. 20 Mar. 2015. <http://spanish411.net/Spanish-Direct-Object-Pronouns.asp>.