- 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
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Clitic Placement Rules
What You'll Learn
Overview / Usage
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
1️⃣ With Conjugated Verbs
Clitics always go before conjugated verbs (verbs that show tense and person).
Rule:
Pronoun(s) + Conjugated Verb
Lo veo
I see it
lo (it) + veo (I see)
Te llamo
I call you
te (you) + llamo (I call)
Me gusta
I like it
me (to me) + gusta (pleases)
Se levanta
He/She gets up
se (himself) + levanta (gets up)
Nos lo explican
They explain it to us
nos lo (to us it) + explican (they explain)
Se la compro
I buy it for him/her
se la (to him/her it) + compro (I buy)
2️⃣ With Infinitives
With infinitives (unconjugated verb forms like hablar, comer, vivir), you have two options:
Two Options:
Option 1: Attach to the infinitive
Quiero verlo
I want to see it
Option 2: Before the conjugated verb
Lo quiero ver
I want to see it
Examples with Both Options:
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
⚠️ Accent Rule: When attaching pronouns to infinitives with 2+ syllables, you often need to add an accent to maintain the original stress: comprar → comprarla, but decir → decírmelo
3️⃣ With Gerunds (Present Participles)
With gerunds (-ando, -iendo forms), the same two options apply as with infinitives:
Two Options:
Option 1: Attach to the gerund
Estoy leyéndolo
I'm reading it
Option 2: Before the conjugated verb
Lo estoy leyendo
I'm reading it
Examples with Both Options:
Estoy mirándola
La estoy mirando
I'm watching it
Está escribiéndote
Te está escribiendo
He/She is writing to you
Estamos explicándoselo
Se lo estamos explicando
We're explaining it to him/her
⚠️ Accent Rule: When attaching pronouns to gerunds, you always need an accent on the stressed vowel: mirando → mirándola, escribiendo → escribiéndote
4️⃣ With Commands
Commands have different rules for affirmative and negative forms:
Affirmative: ATTACH to the end
Pronouns must attach to affirmative commands (add accent):
Hablame
Talk to me!
Cómpralo
Buy it!
Dígamelo
Tell it to me! (formal)
Negative: BEFORE the verb
Pronouns go before negative commands (no accent):
No me hables
Don't talk to me!
No lo compres
Don't buy it!
No me lo digas
Don'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
Daily Conversations
¿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.
Gotchas / Common Mistakes
❌ Separating Pronouns from Conjugated Verbs
Pronouns must come directly before conjugated verbs:
Wrong: Yo veo lo
Correct: Yo lo veo
❌ Mixing Affirmative Command Rules
With affirmative commands, pronouns must attach:
Wrong: Lo habla / Me di
Correct: Háblalo / Dime
❌ Forgetting Accents
When attaching pronouns, maintain stress with an accent:
Wrong: Damelo, comprandolo
Correct: Dámelo, comprándolo
❌ Wrong Pronoun Order
With two pronouns, indirect/reflexive always comes first:
Wrong: Lo me das
Correct: Me lo das
💡 "Se lo" Not "Le lo"
When le/les meets lo/la/los/las, it becomes "se":
Wrong: Le lo doy
Correct: Se lo doy
⚠️ Don't Split Verb Phrases
With infinitives/gerunds, pronoun goes with whole phrase:
Wrong: Lo voy a ver (splitting badly)
Correct: Lo voy a ver or Voy a verlo
Quick Test / Mini Quiz
📝 Interactive Clitic Placement Quiz
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
Useful Resources
Coming soon...