Spanish Object Pronouns: Lo, La, Le and Se Lo Explained
Direct and indirect object pronouns in Spanish made simple: lo, la, le, les, word order, and why le lo becomes se lo, with conversation examples.
By Ayoub Farid · · 2 min read
Object pronouns let you avoid repeating nouns: "I bought it", "I gave her the book". In Spanish they're short, frequent and placed differently from English.
Direct object pronouns (what?)
| me | me |
|---|---|
| te | you |
| lo / la | him, it (m.) / her, it (f.), you (usted) |
| nos | us |
| los / las | them, you all |
- ¿Tienes el café? — Sí, lo tengo. — Yes, I have it.
- ¿Ves a María? — Sí, la veo.
Indirect object pronouns (to whom?)
| me | to me |
|---|---|
| te | to you |
| le | to him/her/you (usted) |
| nos | to us |
| les | to them/you all |
- Le escribo a mi abuela. — I write to my grandmother.
- ¿Me pasas la sal? — Can you pass me the salt?
Word order
Pronouns go before a conjugated verb:
- Lo compro. — I'll buy it.
Or attached to infinitives, gerunds and affirmative commands:
- Voy a comprarlo / Lo voy a comprar.
- Estoy haciéndolo / Lo estoy haciendo.
- ¡Cómpralo!
Both together: le lo → se lo
Indirect first, then direct: Me lo das. — You give it to me. But le/les + lo/la/los/las becomes se:
- Le doy el libro. → Se lo doy. — I give it to him.
- ¿Le diste el regalo a tu mamá? — Sí, se lo di.
Conversation chunks
- ¿Me lo repites? — Can you repeat it for me?
- Te lo juro. — I swear (it to you).
- No lo sé. — I don't know (it).
- Se lo agradezco. — I appreciate it (formal).
- ¿Me lo envuelve? — Can you wrap it for me?
Leísmo in Spain
In parts of Spain you'll hear le for "him" as a direct object: Le vi ayer (instead of Lo vi). Both are understood.
Practice: replace the noun
- Compro el café. → Lo compro.
- Llamo a mi abuela. → La llamo.
- Doy el regalo a mi mamá. → Se lo doy.
- ¿Me pasas la sal? → ¿Me la pasas?
- Voy a ver la película. → Voy a verla.
Practice
Pronouns come naturally after a lot of speaking. Phrases like ¿me lo repites? and se lo agradezco are perfect to practice in Lolo's calls. See Spanish verb conjugation basics and gustar in Spanish.
Frequently asked questions
What's the difference between "lo" and "le"?
Lo replaces a direct object (what); le replaces an indirect object (to whom).
Why does "le lo" become "se lo"?
For sound: Spanish avoids le lo, so le changes to se.
Where do I put the pronoun with "voy a"?
Either before voy or attached to the infinitive: Lo voy a hacer / Voy a hacerlo.