Spanish grammar · Intermediate
Spanish Indirect Object Pronouns: Forms, Placement, and Examples
Spanish indirect object pronouns (pronombres de objeto indirecto) replace the indirect object, to whom / for whom the action is done. Forms: me, te, le, nos, os, les. Le and les change to se before a direct object pronoun starting with l (le lo → se lo).
Le doy el libro.
I'm giving him the book.
What it is
Spanish indirect object pronouns replace the indirect object, to whom or for whom the action is done. Forms: me (to me), te (to you), le (to him/her/it/you formal), nos (to us), os (to you all, Spain), les (to them, to you all formal). Placement rules match direct objects: before the conjugated verb, or attached to infinitive / gerundio / affirmative command.
In Le doy el libro (I'm giving him the book), le is the indirect object (to him), and el libro is the direct object (what's given). Both can be combined into pronouns: Se lo doy (I'm giving it to him), le shifts to se before lo.
How to spot it
Look for me / te / le / nos / os / les before a verb. They answer to whom? or for whom? The notable feature: le / les shift to se when followed by lo / la / los / las.
- Te escribo un email. — I'm writing you an email.
- Le di un regalo. — I gave him / her a gift.
- Se lo dije. — I told it to him / her. (le → se)
Indirect comes BEFORE direct when stacking: Me lo das (You give it to me). Both go before the conjugated verb.
Indirect Object Pronouns Quick Reference
Spanish indirect object pronouns
| Person | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | me (to me) | nos (to us) |
| 2nd familiar | te (to you) | os (to you all, Spain) |
| 3rd | le (to him/her/it/you formal) | les (to them/you all formal) |
Common Indirect Object Pronouns Examples in Spanish
Indirect object pronouns answer to whom / for whom, and they show up constantly:
Giving / Sending Things
- Te doy el libro.
- I'm giving you the book.
- Le escribí una carta.
- I wrote her a letter.
- Nos enviaron flores.
- They sent us flowers.
Verbs of giving / sending (dar, enviar, escribir, regalar) constantly take indirect objects.
Saying / Telling
- Te digo la verdad.
- I'm telling you the truth.
- Le pregunté la hora.
- I asked him the time.
- Me explicó todo.
- He explained everything to me.
Verbs of communication (decir, preguntar, explicar, contestar) typically take indirect objects for the listener.
Gustar-Style Verbs
- Me gusta el café.
- I like coffee. (lit: coffee pleases me)
- Le encanta bailar.
- She loves dancing.
- Nos importa mucho.
- It matters a lot to us.
Gustar, encantar, importar, parecer all use indirect object for the experiencer. The subject is what causes the reaction.
Le / Les → Se Before Lo / La
- Le di el libro a Juan. → Se lo di.
- I gave the book to Juan. → I gave it to him.
- Les compré flores. → Se las compré.
- I bought them flowers. → I bought them for them.
Le / les become se when followed by lo / la / los / las. Required to avoid the awkward le lo / les la.
How to Use Spanish Indirect Object Pronouns
Identify the Indirect Object
The indirect object answers to whom? or for whom?, the recipient of the action. In Le doy el libro a María, María is the indirect object (the recipient). The book is the direct object.
Doy el libro a María → a María = indirect. Le doy el libro.
Replace the indirect object with me / te / le / nos / os / les.
Indirect always answers to whom / for whom. If you can rephrase as for me, to her, the noun is indirect.
Placement: Before Conjugated Verb
Same placement as direct objects: before the conjugated verb. Te doy el libro. Le di las llaves. Nos enviaron flores.
Te lo doy. No le dije nada.
I give it to you. I didn't tell him anything.
When stacking pronouns: indirect comes BEFORE direct. Me lo das (You give it to me), not Lo me das.
Le / Les → Se Before Lo / La / Los / Las
When le or les is followed by a direct object pronoun starting with l (lo, la, los, las), they shift to se. Required by Spanish phonology, le lo, les la are forbidden.
Le doy el libro → Se lo doy. Les compré flores → Se las compré.
I give him the book → I give it to him. I bought them flowers → I bought them for them.
Se in this case is NOT reflexive, it's just le / les disguised. Context (or a se lo / se la a + person clarification) tells you who.
Redundant A + Noun for Clarity
Because le / les / se are ambiguous (could refer to him / her / them / you formal), Spanish often adds a + noun for clarity. Le doy el libro a Juan. Se lo doy a ella.
Le doy el libro a María. Se lo expliqué a mi madre.
I give the book to María. I explained it to my mother.
Including a + noun is optional but very common, especially with se where the antecedent could be ambiguous.
Alternative Placement: Infinitive / Gerundio / Command
Like direct objects: with infinitive (decirle) and gerundio (diciéndole), attach OR place before main verb. With affirmative commands: attach (¡Dile!). With negative commands: before (No le digas).
Voy a decirle / Le voy a decir. ¡Dime! No me digas.
I'm going to tell him. Tell me! Don't tell me.
When stacking on commands: indirect + direct + verb (dímelo), but pronoun order remains indirect → direct.
Common Mistakes with Indirect Object Pronouns
Incorrect: Le lo doy. — I give it to him. (wrong, le → se before lo)
Correct: Se lo doy. — I give it to him.
Spanish phonology requires le / les to shift to se before lo / la / los / las. Le lo, les la are forbidden combinations.
Incorrect: Me gusta los gatos. — I like cats. (wrong, verb agrees with subject, not pronoun)
Correct: Me gustan los gatos. — I like cats.
In gustar-style constructions, the verb agrees with the subject (what's liked), not the indirect object. Me gustan (plural) los gatos. Me gusta (singular) el gato.
Incorrect: Doy te el libro. — I give you the book. (wrong, pronoun before verb)
Correct: Te doy el libro. — I give you the book.
Indirect object pronouns go BEFORE the conjugated verb. Te doy, not Doy te.
Le / Les → Se Before Lo / La
Why the Shift
Spanish doesn't allow le lo or les la combinations. To avoid the awkward sound, le / les become se when followed by a direct object pronoun starting with l.
- Le di el libro. → Se lo di.
- I gave him / her the book → I gave it to him / her.
- Les compré flores. → Se las compré.
- I bought them flowers → I bought them for them.
Se in this construction is NOT reflexive, it's a phonological replacement for le / les.
Clarification with A + Noun
Because se can be ambiguous (him? her? them? you formal?), add a + noun / pronoun for clarity.
- Se lo di a Juan.
- I gave it to Juan.
- Se las compré a ellos.
- I bought them for them.
Use the clarifier whenever context isn't enough. Very common in natural speech.
Indirect Object Pronouns FAQs
- What are indirect object pronouns in Spanish?
- Indirect object pronouns replace the indirect object, to whom or for whom the action is done. Forms: me, te, le, nos, os, les. Le di el libro (I gave him / her the book). Te escribo (I write to you).
- What's the difference between direct and indirect object pronouns?
- Direct object answers what / whom (the action's target): lo / la / los / las. Indirect object answers to whom / for whom (the recipient): le / les. Lo veo (I see him / it) vs. Le di el libro (I gave him the book).
- Why does le change to se before lo?
- Spanish doesn't allow the combinations le lo, le la, les lo, les la, they sound awkward. So le / les shift to se. Le di el libro → Se lo di. Les compré flores → Se las compré.
- What order do you put indirect and direct object pronouns?
- Indirect comes BEFORE direct. Me lo das (You give it to me), Se lo dije (I told it to him). Both go before the conjugated verb, or attach together to infinitive / gerundio / affirmative command (decírmelo, dándomelo, dímelo).
- How can I get better at Spanish indirect object pronouns?
- Practice replacing full phrases (a Juan, a mi madre) with le / les. Then absorb native input, listening to natives use me / te / le / se locks in the placement and the le → se shift. Parrot's daily videos feature these constantly.