Indirect object pronouns replace the indirect object—the person or thing receiving the benefit of the action—in a sentence. They allow you to avoid repetition and make sentences shorter and clearer.
Indirect object pronouns are used before the conjugated verb or attached to the end of an infinitive or -ing verb (in English, the meaning remains the same regardless of position).
Indirect Object Pronouns in English and Spanish
| Spanish Pronoun | English Pronoun | Spanish Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| me | me | Él me da un regalo. | He gives me a gift. |
| te | you (informal) | Te escribo una carta. | I write you a letter. |
| le | him, her, you (formal) | Le hablo a María. | I speak to María. |
| nos | us | Nos envían los paquetes. | They send us the packages. |
| os | you all (informal Spain) | Os cuento el secreto. | I tell you all the secret. |
| les | them, you all (formal) | Les doy las instrucciones. | I give them the instructions. |
Note: In Spanish, le and les do not specify gender. Context or additional nouns clarify who is being referred to.
Rules for Using Indirect Object Pronouns
- Identify the indirect object—the person who receives or benefits from the action.
- Replace the indirect object noun with the correct pronoun.
- Place the pronoun before a conjugated verb, or attach it to an infinitive or gerund.
- In Spanish, use the preposition "a" before the indirect object noun for clarity (e.g., a María).
- In Spanish, double the indirect object for emphasis: include both the noun (e.g., a Juan) and the pronoun (e.g., le).
Examples: Indirect Object Pronouns in Action
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| Voy a dar el libro a Ana. → Le voy a dar el libro. | I’m going to give the book to Ana. → I’m going to give her the book. |
| Pedro escribe una carta a mí. → Pedro me escribe una carta. | Pedro writes a letter to me. → Pedro writes me a letter. |
| Nosotros damos los regalos a ellos. → Les damos los regalos. | We give the gifts to them. → We give them the gifts. |
| ¿Tú cuentas el secreto a Juan? → ¿Le cuentas el secreto? | Do you tell the secret to Juan? → Do you tell him the secret? |
| Ellos envían mensajes a nosotros. → Nos envían mensajes. | They send messages to us. → They send us messages. |
Rewrite the following sentence in Spanish using indirect object pronouns: Nosotros damos los regalos a ellos.
Les damos los regalos.
The indirect object pronoun 'les' replaces 'a ellos,' so the sentence becomes 'Les damos los regalos.'
Using Indirect Object Pronouns with Other Pronouns
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| María me lo da. | María gives it to me. |
| Te las envío mañana. | I’ll send them to you tomorrow. |
| Nos los regalaron ayer. | They gave them to us yesterday. |
| Os lo explicaré luego. | I’ll explain it to you all later. |
| Les hice la tarea. | I did the homework for them. |
Note: In Spanish, indirect object pronouns come before direct object pronouns (e.g., me lo da). The order is indirect + direct + verb.
Translate to Spanish: I’ll send them to you tomorrow. (them = las = direct object plural feminine)
Te las envío mañana.
'Te' (indirect) comes before 'las' (direct), resulting in 'Te las envío mañana.'
Practice
Try rewriting these sentences using indirect object pronouns:
| Spanish Sentence | Spanish with Pronoun |
|---|---|
| Juan escribe una carta a María. | Juan le escribe una carta. |
| Yo doy el regalo a ti. | Yo te doy el regalo. |
| Carlos muestra el dibujo a nosotros. | Carlos nos muestra el dibujo. |
| Ellos cuentan historias a los niños. | Ellos les cuentan historias. |
| Mónica envía un paquete a vosotros. | Mónica os envía un paquete. |
Were any of these examples unclear? I can provide further explanations or more examples if you want!
Flashcards (1 of 21)
- English Pronoun: me
- English Example: He gives me a gift.
Last updated: Wed Jun 18, 2025
