El Complemento Directo y El Complemento Indirecto

We will review the direct and indirect object pronouns in this module. Let's begin by reviewing each one separately

Complemento Directo

A direct object pronoun replaces the direct object in a sentence, which can be a person, thing, noun phrase, or nominalized clause. Note: To replace a noun for a direct object pronoun, keep in mind the gender and number rule used for noun and adjective agreement

Direct Object Pronouns and People

A direct object pronoun can take the place of a direct object referring to a person. In the first sentence below, the direct object is mi mamá. It can be replaced by the direct object pronoun la, as shown in the second example.

Llamaron a  mi mamá. (la mama: feminine-singular-her)

They called my mother.

La  llamaron.

They called her.

Direct Object Pronouns and Things

Sandra tiró la pelota. (la pelota: feminine-singular-it)

Sandra threw the ball.

Sandra  la  tiró.

Sandra threw it.

Sandra tiró el papel. (el papel: masculine-singular- it)

Sandra threw the ball.

Sandra  lo  tiró.

Sandra threw it.

Direct Objects and Phrases

Los niños leen  muchos libros. (los libros: masculine-plural-them)

The boys read lots of book.

Los niños  los  leen.

The boys read them.

The following video provides another explanation of the direct object pronouns. Please watch the video below.

¡Vamos a Practicar!

Please complete the following activity. Please note- For this practice you do NOT have to include the period at the end of the sentence. For question marks and exclamation marks, please use both (before and after the sentence)

Complemento Indirecto

An indirect object pronoun tells you to whom or for whom something is done. It can also be answered by asking "Who or what received the direct object?"

The headings for this chart are Subject Singular Plural, First person, me, to or for me, nos, to or for us, Second person, te, to or for informal you, as, to or for formal you, Third person, le, to or for it, him, her, formal you, les, to or for them, formal you

Notice that none of the indirect pronouns vary according to gender. Indirect object pronouns do not share the gender and number rules as direct object pronouns.

Finding the Indirect Object Pronoun

You can find the indirect object in a sentence by asking yourself to whom or for whom an action was done. For example, to find the indirect object in the following sentence, you could ask yourself, "For whom did Lucas buy a card?"  The answer is  "For Alicia." Therefore, the indirect object is Anita, and the matching indirect object pronoun is le.

Lucas  le  compró una tarjeta  a Alicia.

Lucas bought a card for Alicia.

Lucas  le  compró una tarjeta.

Gabriel bought a card for her.

Verbs that Take an Indirect Object

Below is a list of verbs that often take a person as an indirect object in Spanish.

List of verbs that take an indirect object with Spanish example followed by English example. Comprar,le, aigo, to buy something for someone, contrar,le, aigo, to tell something to someone, dar, le, aigo, to give something to someone, decir, le, aigo, to say something to someone, escribir, le, aigo, to write something to someone, mandar, le, aigo, to send something to someone

Here is an additional explanation of the indirect object pronouns. Please watch this video below.

¡Vamos a Practicar!

Complete the activity below.

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