- Understand when to use two object pronouns together
- Master the le/les → se rule before direct object pronouns
- Learn the correct order: Indirect + Direct
- Know where to place double pronouns (before verb, attached to infinitive/gerund)
- Apply double pronouns with commands
← Back to Grammar
Double Object Pronouns: Indirect + Direct Together
What You'll Learn
Overview / Usage
In Spanish, you can use both an indirect object pronoun (me, te, le, nos, os, les) and a direct object pronoun (me, te, lo, la, nos, os, los, las) in the same sentence. When this happens, specific rules govern their order and form.
🔑 The Most Important Rule
When le or les (indirect) comes before lo, la, los, or las (direct), le/les changes to se.
Le doy el libro → Se lo doy
I give the book to him/her → I give it to him/her
📌 What are Double Object Pronouns?
Double object pronouns occur when you use an indirect object pronoun (who receives) and a direct object pronoun (what is received) together in the same sentence.
Indirect Object Pronouns
me (to me), te (to you), le (to him/her/you),
nos (to us), os (to you all), les (to them/you all)
nos (to us), os (to you all), les (to them/you all)
Direct Object Pronouns
me (me), te (you), lo/la (it/him/her),
nos (us), os (you all), los/las (them)
nos (us), os (you all), los/las (them)
Structure & Formation
⚡ The Big Rule: le/les → se
This is the most important rule for double object pronouns. You cannot say "le lo", "le la", "les los", or "les las". Instead, le or les becomes se.
❌ Wrong
Le lo doy
Les las mando
✓ Correct
Se lo doy
Se las mando
📋 Pronoun Order: Indirect + Direct
When using two object pronouns together, the indirect object pronoun always comes first, followed by the direct object pronoun.
Indirect + Direct + Verb
(me, te, se, nos, os) + (lo, la, los, las) + verb
With First/Second Person (me, te, nos, os)
These pronouns don't change to "se" because they're never le or les:
Me lo das
You give it to me
Te la mando
I send it to you
Nos los traen
They bring them to us
With Third Person (le/les → se)
Se lo doy
I give it to him/her/you (formal)/them
Se la compro
I buy it for him/her/you (formal)/them
Se los muestro
I show them to him/her/you (formal)/them
Examples
📍 Placement with Different Verb Forms
1. With Conjugated Verbs
Both pronouns go before the conjugated verb:
María me lo explica
María explains it to me
Yo te la presto
I lend it to you
Ellos se los venden
They sell them to him/her/them
2. With Infinitives
You have two options:
- Attach to the infinitive (as one word, with accent)
- Before the conjugated verb
Voy a dártelo
I'm going to give it to you
Attached to infinitive (with accent)
Te lo voy a dar
I'm going to give it to you
Before conjugated verb
⚠️ Important: When attaching pronouns to infinitives, you usually need to add an accent to maintain the original stress pattern: dartélo, comprarselo
3. With Gerunds (Present Participles)
Same as infinitives - two options:
Estoy dándotelo
I'm giving it to you
Attached to gerund (with accent)
Te lo estoy dando
I'm giving it to you
Before conjugated verb
💬 With Commands
Affirmative Commands
Pronouns must attach to the end of affirmative commands (add accent):
Dámelo
Give it to me!
Mándaselas
Send them to him/her!
Explícanoslo
Explain it to us!
Negative Commands
Pronouns go before the verb (no accent needed):
No me lo des
Don't give it to me!
No se las mandes
Don't send them to him/her!
No nos lo expliques
Don't explain it to us!
💡 Common Examples in Context
¿El libro? Se lo di a Juan.
The book? I gave it to Juan.
¿Las llaves? Te las voy a dar mañana.
The keys? I'm going to give them to you tomorrow.
Mi hermano quiere el coche. Se lo presto los fines de semana.
My brother wants the car. I lend it to him on weekends.
Gotchas / Common Mistakes
❌ Saying "le lo" or "les las"
Remember: le/les ALWAYS changes to "se" before lo/la/los/las
Wrong: Le lo doy ✗
Correct: Se lo doy ✓
❌ Wrong Pronoun Order
Indirect pronoun ALWAYS comes before direct pronoun
Wrong: Lo me das ✗
Correct: Me lo das ✓
❌ Forgetting Accents
When attaching pronouns to infinitives/gerunds/commands, maintain the stress with an accent
Wrong: Voy a dartelo ✗
Correct: Voy a dártelo ✓
❌ Wrong Placement (Commands)
Negative commands: pronouns go BEFORE the verb
Wrong: No dámelo ✗
Correct: No me lo des ✓
Quick Test / Mini Quiz
Test Your Knowledge
Ready to practice? Test yourself with this 8-question quiz on double object pronouns!
1
I give it to him → Yo _____ doy
2
She sends them to me → Ella _____ manda
3
We want to tell it to you → Queremos _____
4
I'm showing it to them → Estoy _____
5
They give it to her → Ellos _____ dan
6
You (tú) can explain it to us → Tú _____ explicar
7
I'm going to buy them for you → Voy a _____
8
Don't tell it to me! → ¡No _____ digas!
Useful Resources
Coming soon...