Transcript Indirect Object Pronouns

Indirect Object Pronouns
Indirect and direct objects
Some sentences in Spanish
(and in English) can have 2 objects, a
direct object and an indirect one.
These sentences involve actions such
as: giving something to someone,
buying something for someone, saying
something to someone etc.
There is both a “something” and a
“someone” as objects of the
verb/action.

An indirect object describes to whom
or for whom an action is done.

Indirect objects are almost always
people and include the personal a.

Yo doy los libros a los estudiantes.
◦
(direct object) (indirect object)
¿Cuáles objetos son indirectos?

Escribo un e-mail a mi madre.

Los niños compran flores a su abuelo.

Tienes que decir la verdad a los niños.

Mi novio da un beso a mí.
Indirect objects as pronouns

An indirect object usually appears in a
sentence as an indirect object pronoun:
Me
 Te
 Le
 Nos
 Les

(to, for) me
(to, for) you
(to, for) him, her, you
(to, for) us
(to, for) them, you

Indirect object pronouns are similar to
direct object pronouns, except “le,” is
used instead of “lo, la” and “les” is
used instead of “los, las”

Indirect object pronouns are often
placed in front of the conjugated verb:
¿Quién te escribió esa carta.
 Mi padre me escribió esa carta.


When you have two verbs together you
can put the indirect object pronoun
either before the first or after the second:
Mi papá le está escribiendo una carta a
Alberto.
 Mi papá está escribiéndole una carta a
Alberto.

Le and Les

Because “le” and “les” can mean “to you,
to him, to her, to them or to you guys” an
indirect object noun (personal a +
person) is usually added after the direct
object or before the indirect object
pronoun to clarify.

Le doy un beso a Alberto, pero no le doy
un beso a Carlos porque no me gusta.
Common 2 object verbs:









Dar
to give (someone sthg)
Servir
to serve (someone sthg)
Comprarto buy (someone sthg)
Mandar/enviar to send (s.o. sthg.)
Escribir
to write (s.o. sthg)
Traer
to bring (s.o. sthg)
Decir
to tell (s.o. sthg.)
Pedir
to ask for (sthg. from s.o.)
Hacer
to make (sthg from s.o.)
Práctica: re-write each sentence and
include the indirect object.
Hago albóndigas
(a ti)
 Yo di un beso
(a mi novio)
 Elena compró flores
(a su madre)
 Tú mandaste un e-mail (a nosotros)
 Vamos a traer desayuno (a ustedes)
 Él dice la verdad
(a mi)
 Ellos dan cinco dólares (a los niños)
