The Animated Book
of SpanishGrammar Reference

Spanish Indirect Object Pronouns

Adapted from The Animated Book of Spanish, an interactive Spanish grammar book.

Indirect object pronouns stand for who something is given to, said to, or done for: I give her the book, she wrote to me. Like direct object pronouns, they usually go before the verb.
The Spanish indirect object pronouns, singular and plural
PersonSingularPlural
1st person
me
to/for me
nos
to/for us
2nd personinformal
te
to/for you
os
to/for you all (Spain)
3rd personand usted, ustedes
le
to/for him, her, you
les
to/for them, you all
On this page

What is an indirect object?

The indirect object is who receives the direct object, or who the action is done for. It's usually a person, though it can also be a thing. To find it, ask to whom? or for whom?

  • EnglishI’m sending you a photo.
    SpanishTe mando una foto.
  • EnglishShe explained the homework to us.
    SpanishNos explicó la tarea.
  • EnglishWill you lend me your car?
    Spanish¿Me prestas tu coche?

  • Le escribo todas las semanas.

    I write to her every week.

  • Nos enseñaron las fotos del viaje.

    They showed us the photos from the trip.

  • ¿Te pido un taxi?

    Shall I get you a taxi?

  • Les conté todo a mis amigos.

    I told my friends everything.

Le and les: him, her, or you

Unlike lo and la, le doesn't change for gender. It can mean to him, to her, or to you (usted). In the plural, les covers to them and to you all.

  • Mi hijo cumple años. Le compré una bici.

    It’s my son’s birthday. I bought him a bike.

  • Mi abuela está sola. Le llevo la comida.

    My grandma is on her own. I take her food.

  • Señora, ¿le traigo un café?

    Ma’am, can I bring you a coffee?

  • Mis alumnos tienen un examen. Les doy una semana para estudiar.

    My students have a test. I’m giving them a week to study.

Redundant pronouns

Even when you name the person, Spanish usually keeps the pronoun too. Le and a María are the same indirect object, said twice.

  • EnglishI gave the book to María.
    SpanishLe di el libro a María.
  • EnglishWe bought the kids a present.
    SpanishLes compramos un regalo a los niños.
  • EnglishDid you tell your mom the truth?
    Spanish¿Le dijiste la verdad a tu madre?

It sounds redundant, but it's the normal way to say it. Leaving out le sounds stiff or odd in most sentences.

Verbs that surprise English speakers

Most verbs work the way you'd expect: you give, send, or explain something to someone. But these verbs take an indirect object in Spanish, even though English has no to:

  • preguntarto ask (someone)

    Le pregunté la hora.

    I asked him the time.

  • contestarto answer (someone)

    Mi hija no le contesta a nadie.

    My daughter doesn’t answer anyone.

  • pagarto pay (someone)

    Le pagué al mecánico.

    I paid the mechanic.

  • creerto believe (someone)

    No le creo.

    I don’t believe him.

  • pegarto hit (someone)

    El niño le pegó a su hermano.

    The boy hit his brother.

  • enseñarto teach, to show (someone)

    Les enseño español a mis vecinos.

    I teach my neighbors Spanish.

And some that don't

It works the other way too. These verbs take a direct object in Spanish (lo, la), even though English uses for, to, or at:

  • esperarto wait for

    La espero en la puerta.

    I’ll wait for her at the door.

  • buscarto look for

    Perdí las llaves. Las busco por todas partes.

    I lost my keys. I’m looking for them everywhere.

  • escucharto listen to

    Mis alumnos hablan y yo los escucho.

    My students talk, and I listen to them.

To, for, and from

Indirect objects cover more than to. They're also who something is done for, and who something is taken from.

  • Le hice un pastel a mi hermano.

    I made my brother a cake.

  • ¿Te pido un café?

    Shall I order you a coffee?

  • Me robaron la cartera.

    Someone stole my wallet.

  • Le compré el coche a mi vecino.

    I bought the car from my neighbor.

Things can be indirect objects too

The indirect object doesn't have to be a person. It can be any thing that something is added to, done to, or taken from.

  • Le puse sal a la sopa.

    I put salt in the soup.

  • Le cambié las pilas al mando.

    I changed the batteries in the remote.

  • Le di otra mano de pintura a la pared.

    I gave the wall another coat of paint.

Body parts and belongings

With body parts, clothes, and personal things, Spanish uses an indirect object pronoun and el or la, where English uses a possessive like my or your.

  • Mi madre me corta el pelo.

    My mom cuts my hair.

  • Le lavé la cara al bebé.

    I washed the baby’s face.

  • Te manché la camisa. Lo siento.

    I got a stain on your shirt. Sorry.

  • ¿Me sujetas el bolso?

    Can you hold my bag?

Where they go

Indirect object pronouns follow the same rules as direct object pronouns. They go right before the conjugated verb, with no in front of them.

  • Te escribo mañana.

    I’ll write to you tomorrow.

  • Ella no me dijo nada.

    She didn’t tell me anything.

With an infinitive or an -ando form, as in the near future and the progressive, they can also go on the end.

  1. Before the verb
    Te voy a escribir.
    Attached to the end
    Voy a escribirte.

    I’m going to write to you.

  2. Before the verb
    Le estoy explicando el problema.
    Attached to the end
    Estoy explicándole el problema.

    I’m explaining the problem to him.

With a positive command, they always go on the end. With a negative one, they go before the verb.

  1. Positive command
    Escríbeme.

    Write to me.

    Negative command
    No me escribas.

    Don’t write to me.

  2. Positive command
    Dale las llaves.

    Give him the keys.

    Negative command
    No le des las llaves.

    Don’t give him the keys.

Common mistakes English speakers make

  1. Using lo or la for “to him” or “to her”

    Incorrect:Lo di el libro.
    Correct:Le di el libro.

    The book is the direct object. The person you give it to is indirect, so it's le.

  2. Leaving out le when you name the person

    Incorrect:Di el libro a María.
    Correct:Le di el libro a María.

    Spanish keeps le even when the person is named. Without it, the sentence sounds stiff.

  3. Using le for more than one person

    Incorrect:Le di los regalos a mis hijos.
    Correct:Les di los regalos a mis hijos.

    For more than one person, use les. You'll hear le in casual speech, but les is correct.

  4. Putting the pronoun after the verb

    Incorrect:Doy le un regalo.
    Correct:Le doy un regalo.

    With a conjugated verb, the pronoun goes right before it.

  5. Saying le lo

    Incorrect:Le lo di.
    Correct:Se lo di.

    Before lo, la, los, or las, le changes to se. More in double object pronouns.

  6. Saying yo gusto

    Incorrect:Yo gusto el café.
    Correct:Me gusta el café.

    With gustar, the person who likes something is an indirect object: me, te, le… More in gustar.

Questions about indirect object pronouns

What are the indirect object pronouns in Spanish?

Me (to/for me), te (to/for you), le (to/for him, her, or you formal), nos (to/for us), os (to/for you all, in Spain), and les (to/for them or you all).

What is the difference between direct and indirect object pronouns?

The direct object is what receives the action: Lo compro ("I buy it"). The indirect object is who it's given to, told to, or done for, usually "to" or "for" someone in English: Le compro un regalo ("I buy him a present"). Only the third person looks different: lo, la, los, las are direct, and le, les are indirect.

Why do you say "le" and "a María" in the same sentence?

Spanish usually keeps the pronoun even when it names the person: Le di el libro a María. It sounds redundant to English speakers, but it's the normal way to say it, and leaving le out often sounds odd.

Does le mean him or her?

Both, and also formal "you." Le doesn't change for gender. If it's not clear from context, add a él, a ella, or a usted: Le escribí a ella.

Where do indirect object pronouns go?

In the same places as direct object pronouns: right before the conjugated verb (Te escribo mañana), or on the end of an infinitive, an -ando form, or a positive command (Voy a escribirte, Escríbeme).

Next upDouble object pronounsMe lo, te lo, se lo: two pronouns together, which comes first, and why le becomes se.

Related