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Indirect Object Pronouns

More on Indirect Object Pronouns

Indirect Object Pronouns

Indirect object pronouns are the words that take the place of the noun. They are shown in the table below:


me	to me	(singular)
te	to you	(singular)
le	to you, to him, to her	(singular)
nos	to us	(plural)
os	to you guys	(plural)
les	to you all, to them	(plural)

Footnote: "se" substitutes for "le" when "le" comes before "lo, la, los or las" in a sentence.
Ella le da un oso (a bone) al perro. -----> Ella se lo da.

The indirect object indicates "to whom" or "for whom" the action of the verb is performed. Sentences that have an indirect object often also have a direct object. The example below illustrates the direct object and indirect object of a simple sentence.

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.

The direct object is not always stated; in some cases it is implied.

Example:

My girl friend writes me every day.

What is the direct object? - letter (implied)

Who received the letter? - me

What is the indirect object? - me

"me" is the indirect object because it tells us who the letter was written for.

There are some general rules for using indirect object pronouns:

1. They precede conjugated verbs and negative commands:

Siempre me llamas a esta hora.

No me llames a esta hora.
Don't call me at this time (of day).

2. They can precede or follow infinitives and present participles.

No tienes que decirle la verdad.

No le tienes que decir la verdad.
You don't have to tell him/her the truth.

3. They follow and are attached to affirmative commands.

Dile que el partido empieza a las siete.

The example sentences should help you understand proper use:

Pablo me compra una bicicleta.
Paul buys me a bicycle.
Paul buys a bicycle for me.

Pablo te compra una bicicleta.
Paul buys you a bicycle.
Paul buys a bicycle for you.

Pablo le compra una bicicleta.
Paul buys him (her, you) a bicycle.
Paul buys a bicycle for him (her, you).

Pablo nos compra una bicicleta.
Paul buys us a bicycle.

Paul buys a bicycle for us.

Pablo os compra una bicicleta.
Paul buys you guys a bicycle.
Paul buys a bicycle for you guys.

Pablo les compra una bicicleta.
Paul buys them (you all) a bicycle.
Paul buys a bicycle for them (you all).

The indirect object pronouns (le) and (les) are ambiguous. They can have several meanings. The proper meaning must be taken from the context of the sentence. The example below shows how the meaning of (le) and (les) changes with each sentence.

Ella le llama a Juan.
le = him(Juan)

Ella le llama a su hermana.
le = her(hermana)

Ella le llama a usted.
le = you(usted)

Ella les llama a sus padres.
les = them(padres)

Ella les llama a ustedes.
les = you all(ustedes)

Indirect Object Pronouns

Pronombres de Objeto Directo - Direct and Indirect Object Pronouns