Indirect Object

An indirect object answers the questions to whom or for whom an action is intended.

John always gives an apple to the teacher.

What is the direct object? - the apple

Who received the apple? - the teacher

What is the indirect object? - the teacher

"the teacher" is the indirect object because it tells us who the apple was given to.

Another example:

She gave me the report.

What is the direct object? - the report

Who received the report? - me

What is the indirect object? - me

"me" is the indirect object because it tells us who the report was given to.

singular                         plural
me    to me                      nos    to us
te    to you                     os     to you (familiar, Spain)
le    to him, her, you, it       les    to them, you 

se to himself/herself/yourself/themselves/yourselves

A prepositional phrase may be added for clarification or emphasis:

• ¿Me hablas?
  Are you talking to me?

• ¿Me hablas a mí?
  Are you talking to me? [a mí added for emphasis]

• Le dije la verdad.
  I told him/her/you the truth.

• Le dije la verdad a ella.
  I told her the truth. [A ella added for clarification since le can mean “him” or “you”.]

Since these are with-verb pronouns they cannot be used if the verb is only implied. The preposition a plus prepositional object pronouns are used in such cases:

• ¿A quién hablas? ¿A mí?.
  Who are talking to? (To) Me?

• Sí, a tí.
  Yes, (to) you.

Indirect object pronouns are normally used even when a noun is expressed as the indirect object:

• Veo a Carlos.
  I see Carlos. [Carlos is the direct object; lo is not added]

• Le mando un regalo a Carlos.
  I'm sending a present to Carlos.

• Les escribo a todos.
  I write (to) everyone.