What are direct object pronouns in Spanish?

Me, te, lo (masc.), la (fem.), nos, os, los (masc.), las (fem.). They replace direct objects (the thing or person directly receiving the action). Compré el libro → Lo compré (I bought it).

Where do direct object pronouns go in Spanish?

BEFORE the conjugated verb (Lo veo). ATTACHED to infinitives (verlo) or gerunds (viéndolo). ATTACHED to affirmative commands (cómpralo). BEFORE negative commands (no lo compres).

How do I know if the pronoun should be lo or la?

Agree with the gender of the noun replaced. El libro (masc.) → lo. La mesa (fem.) → la. Los libros (masc. pl.) → los. Las mesas (fem. pl.) → las.

What is leísmo in Spanish?

Leísmo is the use of le (normally indirect) for direct objects, particularly for masculine people. Le vi a Juan = I saw Juan (Spain). Standard Spanish uses lo: Lo vi a Juan. Leísmo is accepted in Spain but not standard elsewhere.

How can I master direct object pronouns?

Memorize the 8 pronouns and their gender/number agreement. Drill placement (before verb, attached to inf/ger/command). Practice replacing nouns with pronouns in real sentences. Parrot's videos surface natural pronoun usage in conversation.

Spanish grammar · Intermediate

How to Use Direct Object Pronouns in Spanish: The Complete Guide

Written by Sofia Ramirez, Lead Spanish Curriculum Editor · Reviewed May 2026

Use direct object pronouns (me, te, lo / la, nos, os, los / las) to replace direct objects (the thing or person receiving the action directly). Placed before the conjugated verb or attached to infinitive / gerund / affirmative command.

Lo veo.

I see him / it.

What it is

Direct object pronouns (me, te, lo, la, nos, os, los, las) replace direct objects, the thing or person receiving the action directly. Compré el libro (I bought the book) becomes Lo compré (I bought it). Placement: before the conjugated verb, attached to infinitives / gerunds / commands.

In Lo veo (I see him / it), lo is the direct object pronoun replacing él (him) or el libro (it / the book, masculine).

How to spot it

Look for me, te, lo, la, nos, os, los, las attached before the verb. The pronoun must agree with the noun's gender (lo / la) and number (lo / los, la / las).

Lo compré. — I bought it. (masc.)
La vi ayer. — I saw her yesterday.
Los conozco. — I know them (masc. / mixed).

In Spain, le is sometimes used instead of lo for masculine people (leísmo): Le vi a Juan = I saw him. This is accepted in Spain but lo is standard elsewhere.

How to Use Direct Object Pronouns in Spanish Quick Reference

Direct object pronouns

Person	Pronoun	Replaces	Example
yo	me	me	Me ves.
tú	te	you	Te veo.
él / it (masc.)	lo	him / it	Lo veo.
ella / it (fem.)	la	her / it	La veo.
nosotros	nos	us	Nos ven.
vosotros	os	you all (Spain)	Os veo.
ellos / them (masc.)	los	them	Los conozco.
ellas / them (fem.)	las	them	Las invité.

Common How to Use Direct Object Pronouns in Spanish Examples in Spanish

Direct object pronouns in real contexts:

Before Conjugated Verb

Lo compré ayer.: I bought it yesterday.
La conozco bien.: I know her well.
Los llamé hoy.: I called them today.
Las invité a la fiesta.: I invited them (fem.) to the party.
Te veo mañana.: I'll see you tomorrow.

Direct object pronouns go BEFORE the conjugated verb.

Attached to Infinitive / Gerund

Voy a comprarlo. = Lo voy a comprar.: I'm going to buy it.
Estoy viéndola. = La estoy viendo.: I'm watching her / it.
Quiero conocerlos.: I want to meet them.
Necesito hacerla.: I need to do it.
Vamos a llamarlos. = Los vamos a llamar.: We're going to call them.

With infinitive or gerund, pronoun can attach to the verb or precede the main verb. Both are correct.

Attached to Commands

¡Cómpralo!: Buy it!
Llámalos.: Call them.
Mírate al espejo.: Look at yourself in the mirror.
Hazlo ahora.: Do it now.
Invítala a la fiesta.: Invite her to the party.

Affirmative commands: pronoun attaches (cómpralo). Negative commands: pronoun precedes (no lo compres).

Agreement with Gender and Number

El libro → lo compré.: The book → I bought it.
La carta → la escribí.: The letter → I wrote it.
Los chicos → los conozco.: The boys → I know them.
Las niñas → las vi.: The girls → I saw them.
El problema (masc.) → lo resolví.: The problem → I solved it.

The direct object pronoun MUST agree with the gender and number of the noun it replaces.

How to Use Direct Object Pronouns

Agree in Gender and Number

Lo (masc. sg.), la (fem. sg.), los (masc. pl. or mixed), las (fem. pl.). Match the gender and number of the noun being replaced.

El libro → lo. La carta → la. Los chicos → los. Las niñas → las.

Match gender and number.

Agreement is mandatory.

Placement: Before Conjugated Verb

Default position: immediately before the conjugated verb. Lo veo (I see it). La conozco (I know her). Te llamo (I'll call you).

Lo / la / los / las + verb.

Pronoun before verb.

Pronoun precedes conjugated verb.

With Infinitives, Gerunds, and Commands

Pronoun can attach to infinitive (comprarlo), gerund (viéndolo), or affirmative command (cómpralo). With infinitive / gerund, can also precede main verb: lo voy a comprar / lo estoy viendo.

Comprarlo / lo voy a comprar.

Attach or precede.

Both positions valid.

Leísmo: Le for Lo (Spain Only)

In Spain, le is sometimes used instead of lo for masculine people: Le vi a Juan = I saw Juan. This is leísmo. Outside Spain, use lo for masculine people: Lo vi a Juan.

Spain: le vi. Latin America: lo vi.

Regional variation.

Lo is standard. Le is Spanish (Spain).

Common Mistakes with How to Use Direct Object Pronouns in Spanish

Incorrect: Veo lo. — I see him / it.

Correct: Lo veo. — I see him / it.

Object pronouns go BEFORE the conjugated verb in Spanish, not after. Veo lo would only be correct if attached to an infinitive (verlo).

Incorrect: Compré el libro. La leí. — I bought the book. I read it.

Correct: Compré el libro. Lo leí. — I bought the book. I read it.

El libro is masculine, so the pronoun must be lo (masc.), not la (fem.). Agreement is mandatory.

Incorrect: Quiero lo comprar. — I want to buy it.

Correct: Quiero comprarlo. / Lo quiero comprar. — I want to buy it.

With infinitives, the pronoun must either attach (comprarlo) or precede the main verb (lo quiero comprar). Don't insert between the main verb and infinitive.

How to Use Direct Object Pronouns in Spanish FAQs

What are direct object pronouns in Spanish?: Me, te, lo (masc.), la (fem.), nos, os, los (masc.), las (fem.). They replace direct objects (the thing or person directly receiving the action). Compré el libro → Lo compré (I bought it).
Where do direct object pronouns go in Spanish?: BEFORE the conjugated verb (Lo veo). ATTACHED to infinitives (verlo) or gerunds (viéndolo). ATTACHED to affirmative commands (cómpralo). BEFORE negative commands (no lo compres).
How do I know if the pronoun should be lo or la?: Agree with the gender of the noun replaced. El libro (masc.) → lo. La mesa (fem.) → la. Los libros (masc. pl.) → los. Las mesas (fem. pl.) → las.
What is leísmo in Spanish?: Leísmo is the use of le (normally indirect) for direct objects, particularly for masculine people. Le vi a Juan = I saw Juan (Spain). Standard Spanish uses lo: Lo vi a Juan. Leísmo is accepted in Spain but not standard elsewhere.
How can I master direct object pronouns?: Memorize the 8 pronouns and their gender/number agreement. Drill placement (before verb, attached to inf/ger/command). Practice replacing nouns with pronouns in real sentences. Parrot's videos surface natural pronoun usage in conversation.