- Understand what clitics are in Spanish grammar
- Place pronouns correctly before conjugated verbs
- Know when to attach vs. separate pronouns with infinitives and gerunds
- Master pronoun placement with affirmative and negative commands
- Apply accent rules when attaching pronouns
- Use multiple pronouns in the correct order
What You'll Learn
Overview
In Spanish, object pronouns (called clitics) must be positioned in specific places depending on the type of verb they accompany. Understanding these placement rules is essential for natural-sounding Spanish.
What Are Clitics?
Clitics are unstressed pronouns that "attach" to a verb. In Spanish, these include:
Direct Object Pronouns
me, te, lo, la, nos, os, los, las
me, you, him/her/it, us, you all, them
Indirect Object Pronouns
me, te, le (se), nos, os, les (se)
to/for me, you, him/her, us, you all, them
Reflexive Pronouns
me, te, se, nos, os, se
myself, yourself, himself/herself, ourselves, yourselves, themselves
Key Principle: Clitics cannot stand alone - they must attach to or precede a verb. The placement depends on whether the verb is conjugated, an infinitive, a gerund, or a command.
Structure & Formation
1. With Conjugated Verbs
Clitics always go before conjugated verbs (verbs that show tense and person).
Pronoun(s) + Conjugated Verb
Lo veo
I see it
Te llamo
I call you
Me gusta
I like it
Se levanta
He/She gets up
Nos lo explican
They explain it to us
Se la compro
I buy it for him/her
2. With Infinitives
With infinitives (hablar, comer, vivir), you have two options:
Option 1: Attach to infinitive
Quiero verlo
I want to see it
Option 2: Before conjugated verb
Lo quiero ver
I want to see it
Voy a comprarla
La voy a comprar
I'm going to buy it
Puedo ayudarte
Te puedo ayudar
I can help you
Quiere decírmelo
Me lo quiere decir
He/She wants to tell it to me
3. With Gerunds (Present Participles)
With gerunds (-ando, -iendo forms), the same two options apply as with infinitives:
Option 1: Attach to gerund
Estoy leyéndolo
I'm reading it
Option 2: Before conjugated verb
Lo estoy leyendo
I'm reading it
Accent Rule: When attaching pronouns to gerunds, you always need an accent on the stressed vowel: mirando → mirándola, escribiendo → escribiéndote
4. With Commands
Commands have different rules for affirmative and negative forms:
Affirmative: ATTACH to the end
HáblameTalk to me!
CómpraloBuy it!
DígameloTell it to me! (formal)
Negative: BEFORE the verb
No me hablesDon't talk to me!
No lo compresDon't buy it!
No me lo digasDon't tell it to me!
Easy Memory Trick: Affirmative = Attached / Negative = Separate
Examples
Placement with Multiple Pronouns
When using two object pronouns together, the same placement rules apply, but the order is always:
Reflexive/Indirect + Direct
(me, te, se, nos, os) + (lo, la, los, las)
Conjugated
Me lo das
You give it to me
Infinitive (attached)
Quiero dártelo
I want to give it to you
Infinitive (separate)
Te lo quiero dar
I want to give it to you
Gerund (attached)
Estoy explicándoselo
I'm explaining it to him/her
Gerund (separate)
Se lo estoy explicando
I'm explaining it to him/her
Command (+)
Dámelo
Give it to me!
Command (-)
No me lo des
Don't give it to me!
Real-Life Examples
¿El libro? Lo tengo aquí.
The book? I have it here.
Te llamo más tarde.
I'll call you later.
¿Puedes ayudarme con esto?
Can you help me with this?
Estoy buscándolo ahora.
I'm looking for it now.
Dime la verdad.
Tell me the truth.
No me molestes.
Don't bother me.
Common Mistakes
Common Placement Mistakes
Wrong: Yo veo lo
Correct: Yo lo veo
Pronouns must come directly before conjugated verbs
Wrong: Lo habla / Me di
Correct: Háblalo / Dime
With affirmative commands, pronouns must attach to the end
Wrong: Lo me das
Correct: Me lo das
With two pronouns, indirect/reflexive always comes first
Don't Forget the Accents!
When attaching pronouns, maintain stress with an accent:
Wrong: Damelo, comprandolo
Correct: Dámelo, comprándolo
"Se lo" Not "Le lo"
When le/les meets lo/la/los/las, it becomes "se":
Wrong: Le lo doy
Correct: Se lo doyI give it to him/her
Don't Split Verb Phrases
With infinitives/gerunds, pronoun goes with the whole phrase:
Wrong: Voy lo a ver(splitting badly)
Correct: Lo voy a verorVoy a verlo
Quick Test
Test your knowledge of Spanish pronoun placement with different verb forms!
1. I see it -> Yo _____ veo
2. I want to buy it -> Quiero _____
3. I'm reading it -> Estoy _____
4. Buy it! (tú command) -> _____
5. Don't tell me! -> No _____!
6. He can help you -> Él _____ ayudar
7. She's writing to me -> Ella está _____
8. They give it to me -> Ellos _____ dan