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Objetos indirectos
An indirect object is a person that someone or something does something to indirectly. In the simplest sentences, the indirect object directly follows a verb + preposition, so it’s very easy to see the effect that the verb has on that person.
Por ejemplo…
Da unas flores a su amiga. | He’s giving flowers to his friend. | |
Hablo a José y Ana. | I’m talking to José and Ana. |
Characteristics of indirect objects
- Are connected to the verb with the preposition a
- Cannot be removed without altering the meaning of the sentence
- Can be found by asking "to whom?"
Por ejemplo…
To whom is he giving flowers? His friend
To whom am I talking? José y Ana
Indirect object pronouns
In order to avoid repeating nouns in a series of sentences or when answering questions, both Spanish and English replace indirect objects with indirect object pronouns.
Por ejemplo…
To whom is he giving flowers? His friend her.
To whom am I talking? José y Ana them.
Le da unas flores. | He’s giving her flowers. | |
Les hablo. | I’m talking to them. |
En comparación…
Leo a mis hijos todas las noches. | I read to my kids every evening. | |
Les leo todas las noches. | I read to them every evening. |
As you can see, the second version sounds much more natural, in both languages.
Spanish indirect object pronouns
1st person | me | me | nos | us | |
2nd person | te | you | os | you | |
3rd person | le | him, her, you, it | les | them, you |
Indirect object pronoun placement
1) Like direct object pronouns, Spanish indirect object pronouns are usually placed in front of the verb.
Por ejemplo…
Le hablo. | I’m talking to him. | |
Les escribe. | He writes to them. | |
Te doy el pan. | I’m giving the bread to you. | |
Ella me contestó. | She answered me. |
2) With infinitives, present participles, and affirmative commands, pronouns can either precede as above or get attached to the end – learn more.
Por ejemplo…
Le voy a decir. | I’m going to tell him. | |
Voy a decirle. | ||
Les quiero traer el regalo. | I want to bring the gift to them. | |
Quiero traerles el regalo. |
Notes
Trouble deciding between an indirect object and a direct object? The general rule is that if the person is preceded by a preposition (with the exception of the personal a) that person is an indirect object. If the person is not preceded by a preposition, it’s a direct object.
When third person indirect and direct pronouns are used together, the indirect pronoun changes to se – learn more.
Indirect Object Pronoun Quiz
Think you’ve got it? Test yourself:
Related lessons
Spanish lesson plans
- Indirect Object Pronouns (PPT, 8th-12th grade)
- Indirect Object Pronouns (Worksheet, 11th-12th grade)
- Direct and Indirect Object Pronouns (Worksheet, 9th-11th grade)
- Direct, Indirect, and Reflexive Pronouns (Worksheet, 10th – higher ed)
- Pronombres (Worksheets, 9th-11th grade)
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