Direct object pronouns
A2 Los pronombres de objeto directo 21 / 49
In short
Direct object pronouns (lo, la, los, las, plus me/te/nos/os) replace the noun that directly receives the action, so you don’t repeat it: ¿La carta? La escribo. They sit before a conjugated verb or attach to an infinitive, gerund, or affirmative command.
The rule
The direct object (DO) is the person or thing that directly receives the verb’s action: in Como la manzana (I eat the apple), la manzana is the DO. To avoid repeating it, swap it for a direct object pronoun.
Step 1 - Find the direct object. Ask “what?” or “whom?” after the verb: Veo la casa -> what do I see? la casa.
Step 2 - Match gender and number. For things, pick lo / la / los / las to agree with the noun. For people (me, you, us), use me / te / nos / os.
Step 3 - Place the pronoun. It goes before a conjugated verb (La veo), or attaches to the end of an infinitive, gerund, or affirmative command (voy a verla, estoy viéndola, ¡míralo!). With an infinitive or gerund you may also put it before the whole group: la voy a ver = voy a verla. That before option needs a conjugated verb to move in front of, so after a preposition the pronoun can only attach: antes de verla, sin esperarme, never antes de la ver.
Object first? Keep the pronoun. When the object comes first — to contrast it or to pick it up from what was just said — the pronoun still goes before the verb, and it is not optional: El pan lo compro yo, Estas camisas las lavo a mano. A fronted person keeps the personal a: A mi hermana la veo poco.
The personal a. When the direct object is a specific person (or a beloved animal), Spanish marks it with a — the personal a: Veo a María. This a is not “to”; it just flags a human DO. It disappears once you use the pronoun: Veo a María -> La veo. Never use it for things: Veo la casa (not “veo a la casa”).
Neuter lo. Use lo (never la/los) to stand for a whole idea, statement, or “it” with no gender: No lo sé (I don’t know it), Ya lo veo (I get it now).
Leísmo note. In much of Spain you’ll hear le instead of lo for a masculine person: A Juan le veo. The RAE accepts this leísmo only for a masculine singular person; standard and Latin-American Spanish keep lo, so lo/la is always safe.
Forms & patterns
| English | Direct object pronoun |
|---|---|
| me | me |
| you (tú) | te |
| him / it (m) / you (usted, m) | lo |
| her / it (f) / you (usted, f) | la |
| us | nos |
| you all (vosotros/-as) | os |
| them (m) / you all (ustedes, m) | los |
| them (f) / you all (ustedes, f) | las |
Placement of the pronoun:
| Verb form | Position | Example |
|---|---|---|
| conjugated verb | before | La veo. |
| infinitive | attach (or before a conjugated verb) | Voy a verla. / La voy a ver. |
| gerund | attach (or before a conjugated verb) | Estoy viéndola. / La estoy viendo. |
| affirmative command | attach (required) | ¡Recógelo! |
Examples
| Español | English |
|---|---|
| Veo a María. -> La veo. | I see María. -> I see her. |
| Tengo las llaves. -> Las tengo. | I have the keys. -> I have them. |
| ¿Me llamas mañana? Sí, te llamo. | Will you call me tomorrow? Yes, I’ll call you. |
| Voy a comprar el pan. -> Voy a comprarlo. | I’m going to buy the bread. -> …to buy it. |
| Estoy leyendo la carta. -> Estoy leyéndola. | I’m reading the letter. -> …reading it. |
| ¡El libro! ¡Recógelo! | The book! Pick it up! |
| Los platos los friega mi hermano. | The dishes, my brother washes them. |
| No lo sé. | I don’t know (it). |
Common mistakes
- Veo María -> Veo a María - a specific human direct object needs the personal a.
- Veo a la casa -> Veo la casa - no personal a with things; use it only for people.
- Como lo -> Lo como - the pronoun goes before a conjugated verb, not after it.
- La mesa, lo veo -> la veo - match the noun’s gender: mesa is feminine, so la, not lo.
- Recogelo -> Recógelo - attaching a pronoun to a command shifts the stress, so add the written accent.
- No la sé (about a fact) -> No lo sé - use neuter lo for an idea, not la.
Tips
- Ask “what/whom does the verb act on?” - that noun becomes lo/la/los/las (things) or me/te/nos/os (people).
- Agree with the Spanish noun’s gender, not with English “it/them”: el libro -> lo, la revista -> la.
- Placement rhythm: before a conjugated verb, attached to an infinitive, gerund, or affirmative command.
- When you attach a pronoun and the stress moves back, write the accent: mira -> míralo, comiendo -> comiéndolo.
- Neuter lo covers English “it/that” about a whole idea: (No) lo sé, ya lo veo, no lo creo.