Direct Object Pronouns For Intermediate learners

What Are Direct Object Pronouns?

A direct object (pronombres de objeto directo) is the person, animal, or thing that directly receives the action of the verb. For example, in "Veo al perro," the direct object is "el perro" which is the thing that the subject sees. Spanish direct object pronouns replace the noun that acts as direct object and reflect its grammatical person, number, and gender. The table below shows the direct object pronouns in Spanish:

	Singular	Plural
First-person	me	nos
Second-person	te/lo/la	los/las
Third-person	lo/la	los/las

Tip!

In Spain, a distinction is made between formal and informal usage in the plural second-person object pronoun, where "os" is used in informal contexts and "los/las" are reserved for formal interactions. In Latin America, however, this distinction does not exist and "los/las" are used as the plural second-person pronouns in all contexts.

Example

Os invito a la fiesta.

I invite you to the party.

(informal – only used in Spain)

Los invito a la fiesta.

I invite you to the party.

(formal in Spain – general in Latin America)

Placement in the Sentence

In Spanish, when the verb is conjugated and the direct object is a noun phrase, the object follows the verb, but when a direct object pronoun is used instead of a noun, it comes before the conjugated verb.

Example

Necesito el libro. → Lo necesito.

I need the book → I need it.

Invitamos a Juan y Pedro. → Los invitamos.

We invited Juan and Pedro. → We invited them.

- ¿Conoces a mis amigos? - Sí, los conozco.

- Do you know my friends? - Yes, I know them.

Even when the subject pronoun is not dropped, the direct object comes between the subject and the conjugated verb:

Example

Tú me ayudas.

You help me.

When the main verb is used in its infinitive or present participle form, the direct object pronoun can either attach to the end of the main verb or come before the first conjugated verb (the helping verb). If there is no helping verb, the pronoun attaches to the end of the verb. Look at the examples:

Example

Voy a comprarlo./Lo voy a comprar.

I'm going to buy it.

When there is a helping verb (voy a) and an infinitive (comprar), the direct object pronoun can attach to the infinitive or come before the conjugated helping verb.

Estoy viéndola./La estoy viéndo.

I'm watching her.

Similarly, in affirmative imperatives or commands, the direct object pronoun attaches to the verb ending:

Example

Cómpralo.

Buy it.

Dímelo.

Tell it to me.

In negative sentences, the direct object comes between the negative word (usually "no") and the main verb, regardless of its position in the affirmative sentence. For example:

Example

Lo necesito. → No lo necesito.

I need it. → I don't need it.

Ayudame. → No me ayuda.

Help me. → Don't help me.

Gender and Formality

In addition to the common gender distinction between masculine and feminine pronouns in the third-person ("lo" and "los" for masculine and "la" and "las" for feminine), the Spanish second-person direct object pronouns also reflect gender in the formal usage. While the formal second-person subject pronouns "usted" and "ustedes" do not show gender, in the object case there are distinct masculine and feminine forms for each of them which correspond to the third-person pronouns. In other words, when talking to a man or woman of a higher social standing, "lo" and "la" are used as the direct object pronoun respectively, and "los" and "las" are used as the plural forms. In such cases, the context determines whether a second or third-person object is intended.

Example

Lo escucho, señor./ La escucho, señora.

I hear you, sir./ I hear you, ma'am.

Here, the use of "señor/señora" shows that the speaker is directly addressing someone and the pronouns "lo" and "la" are used in their second-person formal sense.

Additionally, keep in mind that the plural first-person which has two distinct forms for feminine and masculine in the subject case ("nosotros" for masculine and "nosotras" for feminine), has a single counterpart in the object case ("nos").

Example

¿Nos visitas este fin de semana?

Will you visit us this weekend?

The table below compares the subject and direct object pronouns in Spanish:

	Subject	Direct object
First-person (s)	yo	me
Second-person (s)	tú	te
Second-person (s) (formal)	usted	lo/la
Third-person (s)	el/ella	lo/la
First-person (p)	nosotros/nosotras	nos
Second-person (p)	ustedes	los/las
Third-person (p)	ellos/ellas	los/las