Spanish grammar: colocación de pronombres de objeto directo e indirecto

What this grammar point covers

In Spanish, direct and indirect object pronouns are words that replace the object of a sentence (the person or thing receiving the action) and are placed in specific positions in the sentence. Their placement is called 'colocación'.

When to use it

Use these pronouns in Spanish to avoid repeating nouns and to make sentences shorter. The pronouns are placed before the conjugated verb, or attached to an infinitive, gerund, or affirmative command.

Key forms

• Direct object pronouns: lo, la, los, las
• Indirect object pronouns: me, te, le, nos, os, les
• Placement: Before a conjugated verb, or attached to infinitives, gerunds, or affirmative commands

Examples

Tips

• Place object pronouns before the conjugated verb, except with infinitives, gerunds, or affirmative commands, where they are attached to the end.
• When both pronouns are used together, the indirect comes before the direct (me lo, te la, etc.).
• If both pronouns begin with 'l' (le/les + lo/la/los/las), change 'le' or 'les' to 'se' (e.g., se lo).

Exceptions and edge cases

• With le/les + lo/la/los/las, always use 'se' instead of 'le/les' (e.g., 'se lo di', not 'le lo di').