Personal indirect object pronouns in Spanish (me, him, her, them)
Spanish
Learn the personal indirect object pronouns (me, him, her, them). On this page you find example sentences, exercises and audio materials.
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What is an indirect object pronoun?
Indirect object pronouns are used to indicate “to whom?” or “for whom?” the action of a verb is performed.
- Les enseñamos español. (We teach them Spanish.)
- Te escribí una carta. (I wrote you a letter.)
- Quiero verle más. (I want to see him more.)
Difference between indirect and direct object pronouns in Spanish
It’s easy to mix up the different types of pronouns, so understanding how and when to use them is necessary for better comprehension and communication in Spanish.
| Object pronoun | Original sentence | Spanish | English |
|
Indirect (To whom/ For whom) |
Compré un libro para mi madre. (I bought a book for my mom.) |
Le compré un libro. | I bought her a book. |
|
Direct (What/Whom) |
Compré un libro. (I bought a book.) |
Lo compré. | I bought it. |
Make sure to not confuse indirect and direct object pronouns.
If something answers "to whom" or "for whom" indirect object pronoun
If something answer "what" or "whom" direct object pronoun
How to use indirect object pronouns
The indirect object pronoun usually comes before the verb.
| Spanish | English |
| Ella os ha llamado. | She has called you. |
| Le estoy escribiendo. | I am writing to her. |
Indirect object pronouns can come after the verb with infinitives, gerunds, and affirmative commands.
Indirect object pronouns: affirmative commands in Spanish
Let’s begin with affirmative commands.
| Spanish | English |
| Dime la verdad. | Tell me the truth. |
| Llámame. | Call me. |
Note that when using negative commands, the pronoun comes before the verb, not after.
No nos llames tan tarde. (Don’t call us so late.)
Indirect object pronouns: gerunds in Spanish
Let’s see some examples of indirect object pronouns with gerunds.
| Spanish | English |
| Gritándome no vas a solucionar nada. | Yelling at me isn't going to solve anything. |
| Eso de dedicarle un poema fue muy bonito. | It was very nice to dedicate her a poem. |
Indirect object pronouns: infinitives in Spanish
The pronoun is attached to verb when using the infinitive form.
| Spanish | English |
| ¿Por qué mentirle a la cara? | Why lie to his face? |
| Voy a enseñarles a cocinar. | I am going to teach them how to cook. |
If an infinitive or gerund follows another verb, you can choose where to place the pronoun, either before and after the verb.
Te quiero contar una cosa. (I want to tell you something.)
Quiero contarte una cosa. (I want to tell you something.)
Practise indirect object pronouns in Spanish
We will practise the six indirect object pronouns in Spanish with examples.
Singular indirect object pronouns (me, te, le)
Here are the three singular indirect object pronouns in Spanish.
|
Indirect object pronoun (singular) |
Spanish | English |
| Me (Me) | Mi mamá me dio un libro. | My mom gave me a book. |
| Te (You) | Ella te envió un mensaje. | She sent you a message. |
| Le (Her/Him) | Él le dio un regalo. | He gave her a gift. |
Plural indirect object pronouns (nos, os, les)
The following table contains the three plural indirect object pronouns in Spanish.
|
Indirect object pronoun (plural) |
Spanish | English |
| Nos (Us) | Ellos nos llamaron. | They called us. |
| Os (You) | La profesora os mandó a la pizarra. | The teacher sent you to the blackboard. |
| Les (Them) | No les dije nada. | I didn't tell them anything. |
Listening exercise
We will finish with a listening exercise applying the indirect object pronouns in a dialogue.
| Spanish | English | |
| María | ¿Les has avisado sobre la cena de hoy? | Have you told them about tonight's dinner? |
| Daniel | Sí, les llamé hace un par de horas. | Yes, I called them a couple of hours ago. |
| María | ¡Genial! ¿Me puedes ayudar en la cocina? | Great! Can you help me in the kitchen? |
| Daniel | Claro, ¿con qué puedo ayudarte? | Of course, what can I help you with? |
| María | Sería genial que cortaras las verduras. | It would be great if you could chop the vegetables. |
Key takeaways
Here is a quick summary of this lesson.
- Indirect object pronouns are used to indicate “to whom?” or “for whom?” the action of a verb is performed.
- The indirect object pronoun usually comes before the verb.
- Indirect object pronouns can come after the verb with infinitives, gerunds, and affirmative commands.
Important! Practise this lesson with a teacher.
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