Direct object pronouns: lo, la, los, las
Instead of repeating el libro or María, Spanish uses a small word: lo, la, los, las.
PART01
Theory
The pronoun replaces the thing or person, and goes before the verb.
The pronouns
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| me | me |
| te | you |
| lo | him, it (masc.) |
| la | her, it (fem.) |
| nos | us |
| os | you all |
| los | them (masc.) |
| las | them (fem.) |
Replacing the noun
| Before | After |
|---|---|
| Compro el pan. | Lo compro. |
| Veo a María. | La veo. |
| Tengo los billetes. | Los tengo. |
| Llamo a mis amigas. | Las llamo. |
Before the verb
Lo compro. = I buy it.
No la veo. = I don’t see her / it.
Or joined to an infinitive
Voy a comprarlo. = I’m going to buy it.
= Lo voy a comprar.
Match the noun
la casa → la = the house → it
los libros → los = the books → them
Gender and number come from the noun.
lo for ideas
No lo sé. = I don’t know.
Lo siento. = I’m sorry.
Spain: le for men
You’ll hear Le vi for “I saw him”.
It’s accepted, but Lo vi is safe everywhere.
los ≠ les
los = them
les = to them (next unit)
Members only
The practice for this unit is for members
A1 is free for everyone. Become a member to open every lesson and grammar unit from A2 to C2, with interactive practice, audio and progress on every device.
€7.99 a month or €59 a year. Cancel any time.