Direct object pronouns
Type the missing word in each sentence. You hear each sentence read by a native voice.
No me digas eso; ya me .
Don't tell me that; they had already told me about it.
The rule
Spanish uses these constantly to avoid repeating a noun: instead of saying el libro twice, you say lo. Once you recognise them, you can follow conversations and written text that would otherwise feel like it has missing words.
The pattern
Use lo, la, los, or las to replace a direct object that is not me, you, or us. The pronoun matches the gender and number of the noun it replaces.
| Pronoun | Replaces |
|---|---|
| lo | him, it (masculine singular) |
| la | her, it (feminine singular) |
| los | them (masculine or mixed plural) |
| las | them (feminine plural) |
To stand for me, you, or us, use me, te, and nos.
Direct object pronouns go before the conjugated verb: Lo veo. La conozco. Nos invita.
In much of Spain you will hear le instead of lo for a male person: Le veo. Recognise it; the forms in this lesson are the standard across Latin America.
Lo can also refer to an idea, fact, or situation. In No lo sé, lo means "it" or "that," not a specific masculine noun.
The a that Spanish puts before a person, covered in its own lesson later, does not change the pronoun: a María becomes la.
Examples
- ¿Tienes el libro? Sí, lo tengo.Do you have the book? Yes, I have it.
- ¿Conoces a María? Sí, la conozco.Do you know María? Yes, I know her.
- Los zapatos son nuevos. Los compro hoy.The shoes are new. I am buying them today.
- Las llaves están aquí. Las veo.The keys are here. I see them.
- Ella me ve.She sees me.
- Te llamo mañana.I will call you tomorrow.
- El profesor nos invita.The teacher invites us.
- No lo sé.I do not know.
Watch out
- Veo lo. Lo veo.The pronoun goes before the conjugated verb, not after it.
- La tengo (referring to el libro). Lo tengo.Lo matches el libro, which is masculine.
- Sí, conozco. (answering ¿Conoces a María?). Sí, la conozco.Spanish does not leave the object out; la stands for María.
- No sé lo. No lo sé.Negation does not move the pronoun after the verb.