Object pronouns
lo, la, le — and se lo.
12 minutes · A free lesson from B1: Independiente (independent) · Roman and Urdu pronunciation guides and English meanings are shown under each phrase
| direct (what) | indirect (to whom) | |
|---|---|---|
| him, it (m.) | loSay: lohلوMeans: it, him | leSay: lehلےMeans: (to) him, (to) her, (to) you (formal) |
| her, it (f.) | laSay: laلاMeans: the (feminine); her, it | leSay: lehلےMeans: (to) him, (to) her, (to) you (formal) |
| them | los / lasSay: lohs, lasلوس, لاسMeans: them (masculine / feminine) | lesSay: lehsلےسMeans: (to) them, (to) you all |
Pronouns go before a conjugated verb (lo compro), or join the end of an infinitive (voy a comprarlo). With two pronouns, the indirect comes first, and le / les becomes se: Se lo doy (I give it to him).
| lo compro | Say loh kohmproh | لو کومپرو | Means: I buy it |
| voy a comprarlo | Say boy a kohmprarloh | بوئی ا کومپرارلو | Means: I am going to buy it |
| le / les | Say leh, lehs | لے, لےس | Means: (to) him or her / (to) them |
| se | Say seh | سے | Means: himself, herself, themselves; to him/her (le before lo) |
| Se lo doy | Say seh loh doy | سے لو دوئی | Means: I give it to him/her |
Lesson quiz
Check what you have learned. Choose an answer to see whether it is right, and why.
Quick check: Which pronoun replaces “el libro” in “Compro el libro”?
- le
- lo
- la
Show the answer
B: lo — el libro is a masculine direct object: lo compro.
Quick check: Which sentence means “I give it to him”?
- Se lo doy
- Le lo doy
- Lo le doy
Show the answer
A: Se lo doy — With two pronouns, the indirect comes first, and le becomes se.
Quick check: Which positions can the pronoun take with “voy a comprar”?
- Only between voy and a
- Only at the end of the sentence
- Before voy, or joined to the end of comprar
Show the answer
C: Before voy, or joined to the end of comprar — lo voy a comprar and voy a comprarlo are both correct.
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