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PronounsintermediateCEFR A2

Direct Object Pronouns: Master Spanish Shortcuts

📋Overview🏗️Structure💡Examples⚠️Common Mistakes🧠Quiz📚Useful Resources

Overview / Usage

Direct Object Pronouns: The Ultimate Spanish Shortcut

Stop repeating yourself! Learn how to replace with tiny words that make your Spanish flow naturally.

🇬🇧 Quick English Reminder: What Are Direct Objects?

A direct object is the thing or person that directly receives the action of the verb. It answers the question "what?" or "whom?"

I read the book

What do I read? → the book

She sees him

Whom does she see? → him

In English, we replace direct objects with: it, him, her, them, me, you, us

The Magic Transformation

❌ Repetitive:

Compro el libro. Leo el libro. Me gusta el libro.

✅ Natural:

Compro el libro. Lo leo. Me gusta.

The Big Picture

Direct object pronouns replace the things that receive the action directly. Think of them as the "it", "him", "her", "them" of Spanish!

PersonSingularPlural
1stmenos
2ndteos
3rdlo/lalos/las

💡 3rd person changes for gender (lo/la = him/it or her/it)

Structure & Formation

🎯 Meet Your Direct Object Pronouns

👤

People Pronouns

me: me
te: you (informal)
nos: us
os: you all (Spain)

These replace people as direct objects

📦

Thing Pronouns

lo: him, it (masculine)
la: her, it (feminine)
los: them (masculine)
las: them (feminine)

These replace things and people (3rd person)

Quick Reference Chart

Masculine Singular

lo

el libro → lo

Feminine Singular

la

la casa → la

Masculine Plural

los

los libros → los

Feminine Plural

las

las casas → las

📍 Where Do They Go?

📍

Before Conjugated Verbs

Lo veo (I see it)
La compramos (We buy it)
Los tengo (I have them)

Most common position - right before the verb

🔗

Attached to Infinitives

Quiero verlo (I want to see it)
Vamos a comprarla (We're going to buy it)
Puedo hacerlos (I can do them)

Stick them to the end of infinitive verbs

💡 Pro Tip: Two Positions, Same Meaning!

Lo quiero ver

Before the conjugated verb

=
Quiero verlo

Attached to the infinitive

Both mean "I want to see it" - choose whichever sounds better!

Examples

🌟 Real-World Examples

🛒 Shopping Scenarios

Compro el pan. → Lo compro.

I buy the bread. → I buy it.

Vendo la casa. → La vendo.

I sell the house. → I sell it.

Necesito los zapatos. → Los necesito.

I need the shoes. → I need them.

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Family & Friends

Veo a María. → La veo.

I see María. → I see her.

Llamo a mis padres. → Los llamo.

I call my parents. → I call them.

Invitan a las chicas. → Las invitan.

They invite the girls. → They invite them.

💬 Natural Conversations

🍕 At the Restaurant
Waiter: ¿Quiere la pizza?
You: Sí, la quiero.

Waiter: ¿Y los refrescos?
You: Los traigo después.
📚 At School
Teacher: ¿Tienes los libros?
Student: Sí, los tengo aquí.

Teacher: ¿Y la tarea?
Student: La hice anoche.

Gotchas / Common Mistakes

⚠️ Common Mistakes & Gotchas

❌ Wrong Gender Match

❌ Wrong: La libro leo

✅ Right: Lo leo

Remember: 'el libro' is masculine, so use 'lo'!

❌ Wrong Position

❌ Wrong: Veo lo

✅ Right: Lo veo

Pronouns go BEFORE conjugated verbs!

❌ Forgetting "a" with People

❌ Wrong: Veo María → Veo la

✅ Right: Veo a María → La veo

Use "a" with people, but the pronoun stays the same!

❌ Mixing Up Plurals

❌ Wrong: Las libros leo

✅ Right: Los leo

Masculine plural = los, feminine plural = las

🧠 Memory Tricks That Actually Work

🎯 The Gender Game

Think of the article: el libro → lo, la casa → la. Same gender!

📍 Position Power

Before conjugated verbs, after infinitives. That's it!

👥 People Pattern

People get "a" before them, but pronouns work exactly the same way.

🔄 Practice Replacement

See a noun? Replace it! "Compro pan" → "Lo compro". Make it automatic.

Quick Test / Mini Quiz

🎯 Interactive Direct Object Pronouns Quiz

Test your mastery of Spanish direct object pronouns!

1

📖 'I read the book.' How do you say 'I read it' using a direct object pronoun?

2

🏠 'We buy the house.' What's 'We buy it' with a direct object pronoun?

3

🍎 'They eat the apples.' How do you say 'They eat them'?

4

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 'I see my parents.' What's 'I see them' with a direct object pronoun?

5

📞 Where does the pronoun go in 'I want to call you'?

Useful Resources

Coming soon...