Position of Direct and Indirect Object Pronouns in Spanish
This section explains Position of Direct and Indirect Object Pronouns in Spanish. In Spanish, direct and indirect object pronouns usually come before the verb but can also be attached to infinitives, gerunds, and affirmative commands.
Basic Position – Before the Conjugated Verb
When a verb is conjugated in simple tenses (present, preterite, imperfect, etc.), object pronouns are placed before the verb.
Examples:
- Me ayuda. → He/She helps me.
- Te veo. → I see you.
- Lo compré ayer. → I bought it yesterday.
- Nos dijeron la verdad. → They told us the truth.
- Le envié un mensaje. → I sent him/her a message.
✅ Rule: Object pronouns always go before the verb in these cases.
Position with Infinitives
When a verb is followed by an infinitive, the object pronoun can go before the conjugated verb or attached to the infinitive.
Examples:
| Before the conjugated verb | Attached to the infinitive |
|---|---|
| Lo quiero comprar. → I want to buy it. | Quiero comprarlo. → I want to buy it. |
| Te voy a llamar. → I am going to call you. | Voy a llamarte. → I am going to call you. |
| Nos pueden ayudar. → They can help us. | Pueden ayudarnos. → They can help us. |
✅ Both structures are correct and commonly used.
Position with Gerunds
When using the present continuous (estar + gerund), object pronouns can go before estar or attached to the gerund.
Examples:
| Before estar | Attached to the gerund |
|---|---|
| Me está ayudando. → He/She is helping me. | Está ayudándome. → He/She is helping me. |
| Nos estaban mirando. → They were looking at us. | Estaban mirándonos. → They were looking at us. |
| Te estoy explicando la tarea. → I am explaining the homework to you. | Estoy explicándotela. → I am explaining it to you. |
✅ If the pronoun is attached to the gerund, an accent is needed (to maintain pronunciation).
Position with Commands (Imperatives)
Affirmative Commands (Attach Pronouns to the End)
In positive commands, the object pronoun must be attached to the verb. An accent is usually added to maintain pronunciation.
Examples:
- Dímelo. → Tell it to me.
- Cómpralo. → Buy it.
- Tráenos la comida. → Bring us the food.
- Explícamelo otra vez. → Explain it to me again.
- Dáselo a Juan. → Give it to Juan.
✅ An accent is needed when attaching pronouns to maintain stress.
Negative Commands
In negative commands, object pronouns must go before the verb and not be attached.
Examples:
- No me lo digas. → Don’t tell it to me.
- No los compres. → Don’t buy them.
- No nos traigas comida. → Don’t bring us food.
- No se lo envíes. → Don’t send it to him/her.
- No te preocupes. → Don’t worry.
✅ No accents are needed in negative commands.
Position When Using Both Direct and Indirect Object Pronouns
When using both a direct and an indirect object pronoun in the same sentence, follow this order:
- Indirect object pronoun (who receives the action) → me, te, le/se, nos, os, les/se
- Direct object pronoun (what is being received) → lo, la, los, las
Examples:
- Me lo dio. → He/She gave it to me.
- Te la presto. → I lend it to you.
- Nos los compraron. → They bought them for us.
- Se las envié. → I sent them to them.
✅ Le / Les changes to "Se" when followed by lo, la, los, or las to avoid repetition.
Higher Tier Examples:
| Before the verb | After the infinitive / gerund / command |
|---|---|
| Me lo quieres explicar. → You want to explain it to me. | Quieres explicármelo. → You want to explain it to me. |
| Se lo tenemos que dar. → We have to give it to them. | Tenemos que dárselo. → We have to give it to them. |
| Nos lo están diciendo. → They are telling it to us. | Están diciéndonoslo. → They are telling it to us. |
| Dímelo. → Tell it to me. | (No negative form – must be separate: No me lo digas.) |
✅ When attaching pronouns to infinitives, gerunds, and commands, accents may be required.
Practice Exercises
- Translate into Spanish:
- She is buying it for him.
- We have to tell them the truth.
- Send it to me!
- Don’t explain it to them.
- He is going to give it to us.
- Fill in the blanks with the correct pronoun(s):
- ___ lo quiero decir. (I want to say it.)
- Necesito explicár___ la lección. (I need to explain the lesson to you.)
- ¿Puedes traér___ los libros? (Can you bring them to me?)
- Se ___ mandó por correo. (He sent it to them by mail.)
- No ___ lo cuentes a nadie. (Don’t tell it to anyone.)
Final Tips for Learning Spanish
✅ Remember the general word order: pronouns go before conjugated verbs, but can be attached to infinitives, gerunds, and commands.
✅Watch out for "se" – le/les changes to se before lo/la/los/las.
✅Check for accents when attaching pronouns to verbs in affirmative commands or gerunds.
✅Practise combining direct and indirect object pronouns to sound more fluent in Spanish.
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