Indirect Object
Spanish: Cambridge International GCSE, topic 11.8.8
Indirect Object Pronouns
Indirect object pronouns show to whom or for whom an action is done. They replace or accompany the indirect object noun.
Indirect object
- The indirect object tells to whom or for whom the action is done.
- Juan da un regalo a María.
- Juan gives a gift to María.
- Here, 'María' is the indirect object.
- Indirect objects answer the questions: 'to whom?' or 'for whom?'
Pronouns
- Indirect object pronouns replace the indirect object noun.
- Indirect object pronouns make sentences shorter and avoid repetition.
- The indirect object pronouns are:
- me, te, le, nos, os, les.
- Indirect object pronouns are placed:
- before a conjugated verb
- attached to an infinitive
Indirect object pronouns
- Me means 'to me'.
- Te means 'to you' (informal singular).
- Le means 'to him', 'to her', or 'to you' (formal singular).
- Nos means 'to us'.
- Os means 'to you' (informal plural, used mainly in Spain).
- Les means 'to them' or 'to you' (plural formal).
Using indirect object pronouns
- The indirect object pronoun goes before the conjugated verb.
- Él le da un libro a su abuelo.
- He gives his grandfather a book.
- Replace a su abuelo with le:
- Él le da un libro.
- He gives him a book.
Infinitives
- When there is an infinitive, place the pronoun:
- before the conjugated verb
- attached to the infinitive
- Voy a darle el libro. / Le voy a dar el libro.
- I am going to give him/her the book.
Direct object and indirect object
- If you have a direct object pronoun, and an indirect object pronoun, the order is:
- indirect object pronoun + direct object pronoun
- Also, if you use the indirect object 'le' before 'lo/la', 'le' changes to 'se'.
- Yo doy un regalo a Juan.
- I give a present to Juan.
- Yo se lo doy.
- I give it to him.
Test yourself on Indirect Object
Change the indirect object of this sentence to a pronoun: 'Ella le compra un libro a su madre'.