CONTENT
An indirect object is the noun to or for whom the action of a sentence is performed. Therefore, an indirect object pronoun is going to substitute this noun in order to avoid repetition.
Spanish
English
-¿Qué le compró Alberto a su novia?
- Le compró unas flores.
- What did Alberto buy his girlfriend?
- He bought her some flowers.
Indirect Object Pronoun in Use
Rule 1. The function of any pronoun is to avoid repetition of the noun.
Spanish
English
¿Vas a ir a la fiesta de Andrea? ¿Le vas a comprar un regalo?
Are you going to Andrea's party? Are you going to buy her a present?
In the example above, Andrea is the person for whom the action is performed. Since she is mentioned in the first question, the speaker uses the indirect object pronoun le to refer to her in the second question rather than repeating her name.
Indirect Object Pronoun Form
Rule 2. Indirect object pronouns, unlike direct object pronouns, do not vary in gender. Other than this, the forms of indirect and direct object pronouns are the same except in the third person singular and plural.
Here is a comparison between the two types of pronouns:
| Direct Object Pronouns | Translation |
|---|---|
| me | me |
| te | you (informal) |
| lo, la | him, her, it, you (formal) |
| nos | us |
| os | you (informal) |
| los, las | them, you (formal) |
| Direct Object Pronouns | Translation |
|---|---|
| me | me |
| te | you (informal) |
| lo, la | him, her, it, you (formal) |
| nos | us |
| os | you (informal) |
| los, las | them, you (formal) |
| Indirect Object Pronouns | Translation |
|---|---|
| me | to/for me |
| te | to/for you (informal) |
| le* | to/for him, her, you (formal) |
| nos | to/for us |
| os | to/for you all (informal) |
| les* | to/for them, you (formal) |
| Indirect Object Pronouns | Translation |
|---|---|
| me | to/for me |
| te | to/for you (informal) |
| le* | to/for him, her, you (formal) |
| nos | to/for us |
| os | to/for you all (informal) |
| les* | to/for them, you (formal) |
*As you can see in the two charts, the only pronouns that are different are those of the third person plural and singular.
Some examples in context:
Spanish
English
Me compré un regalo a mí.
I bought a gift for myself.
Te compré un regalo a ti.
I bought a gift for you.
Le compré un regalo a María.
I bought Maria a gift.
Nos compré un regalo a nosotros.
I bought a gift for us.
Os compré un regalo a vosotros.
I bought a gift for you all.
Les compré un regalo a ellos.
I bought a present for them.
Rule 3. Similarly to direct object pronouns, they are placed before conjugated verbs.
Spanish
English
María José le cocina a su novio.
María José cooks for her boyfriend.
Indirect Object Pronouns with Gustar
Rule 4. You may notice that indirect object pronouns are the same as those used with gustar and similar verbs.
Spanish
English
Me gusta (a mí) mucho el chocolate.
The chocolate is pleasing to me.
Quiz
1/3
¿A quién le queda el vestido?
A Gisela _____________ queda bien.
0
correct answers.