• Programs
    • Preschool
    • Elementary School
    • Middle School
    • High School
    • Adults
    • School Solutions
  • School Solutions
  • Pricing
  • How it Works
  • Testimonials
  • Blog
  • Contact
  • My Cart
  • Login
  • Try a Free Class
logo

855-997-4652 LOGINTRY A FREE CLASS

  • Programs
    • Preschool
    • Elementary School
    • Middle School
    • High School
    • Adults
    • School Solutions
  • School Solutions
  • Pricing
  • How it Works
  • Testimonials
  • Blog
  • Contact
  • My Cart
  • Login
  • Try a Free Class
  • Programs
    • Preschool
    • Elementary School
    • Middle School
    • High School
    • Adults
    • School Solutions
  • School Solutions
  • Pricing
  • How it Works
  • Testimonials
  • Blog
  • Contact
  • My Cart
  • Login
  • Try a Free Class
logo

855-997-4652 LOGINTRY A FREE CLASS

  • Programs
    • Preschool
    • Elementary School
    • Middle School
    • High School
    • Adults
    • School Solutions
  • School Solutions
  • Pricing
  • How it Works
  • Testimonials
  • Blog
  • Contact
  • My Cart
  • Login
  • Try a Free Class
February 11, 2019 by Lindsay Brown Spanish Grammar 0 comments

Spanish Pronouns

When studying any new language, it’s important to understand the parts of grammar that we will be using. For example, let’s talk about pronouns in English, before we get into Spanish pronouns! Do you remember those from your school days? Try to identify the pronouns in the following sentences:

  • He went to the store to get her some medicine.
  • I need to do it by myself.
  • What do you need? I need something for my classes, but I can’t remember what she told me it was called.
  • Give that to me, please.

Could you find the pronouns? There are actually 16! Let’s explore:

What are Pronouns?

Pronouns are short and useful words that replace a noun. Thanks to pronouns, we don’t have to continue repeating whichever noun we’re saying. To clarify, consider the following examples:

  • John is our boss. John is great to work with.

Now with a pronoun:

  • John is our boss. He is great to work with.

As you can see, the sentences read smoother, and we don’t have to repeat ourselves. Spanish pronouns are equally as important. The most frequently used types of Spanish pronouns come in 3 categories. They will help you to better express yourself when speaking or writing.

3 Most Frequent Spanish Pronouns

1. Subject Pronouns

Subject pronouns

These pronouns replace the subject or the “naming part” of a sentence. They come in four categories:

  1. person
  2. number
  3. gender
  4. formality

Person refers to the identity of who is doing the action: first person (I and we), second person (you and you all), and third person (he, she, it, they).

Likewise, numbered pronouns refer to singular (he) or plural (they) pronouns.

Gender is specific for Spanish since every noun is either feminine or masculine. It must be remembered that masculine pronouns replace masculine subject nouns (el sol becomes él) and feminine pronouns replace feminine subject nouns (la casa becomes ella). It’s important to note that for groups of both men and women, we use the masculine plural form (ellos).

Lastly, formality refers to the formal (usted) or informal (tú) pronouns used to address a person. This chart will help you understand and organize the subject pronouns in Spanish:

Vosotros Versus Ustedes

Both vosotros and ustedes mean “you” in the plural form. They are used when talking to more than one person. Vosotros is used in Spain, while ustedes is always used in Latin America. Vosotros has two forms; the first is for a group of men or mixed group, and the other, vosotras, is for addressing a group of females.

The Omission of Subject Pronouns

It’s important to understand that subject pronouns are not always used in Spanish. At first, it can feel very strange to remove the pronoun from your speech or writing, but it’s perfectly natural for Spanish speakers. For example, the English sentence “She is a lawyer” can be stated in Spanish as Ella es abogada or Es abogada. Each sentence is perfectly understood, due to the feminine ending -a in abogada.

2. Direct Object Pronouns

The direct object is a noun that directly receives the action of a verb. It answers the question “What?” or “Who?” A direct object pronoun takes the place of the noun. Let’s look at some examples:

  • He brought it. — He brought what? It is the direct object.
  • I know you! — I know who? You is the direct object.
Direct Object

Where Does It Go?

Now, if you look at the previous English examples, you’ll see that the direct object comes after the verb. In Spanish, however, the direct object pronouns come before the verb!

  • Tú me debes dinero. (You owe me money.
  • ¡Te dije! (I told you!)
  • Lo conozco. (I know him/you/it.)

While using direct object pronouns lo, la, los, and las, the direct object can be clarified by adding a usted, a él, a ella, a ellos, or a ellas.

  • Lo conozco a él. (I know him.)
  • La espero a usted. (I will wait for you.)

Let’s look at an example. Can you find the direct object pronoun?

3. Indirect Object Pronouns

Similarly, the indirect object always answers the question “to whom?” or “for whom?” It is generally telling you where the direct object is headed. Let’s see some examples:

  • I toss the ball to Jack. — The direct object is the ball, but to whom is the ball being tossed? Jack is our indirect object.

Now, without using Jack’s name, we would say:

  • I toss the ball to him. (or) I toss him the ball. — I toss the ball to whom? Him is our indirect object pronound.
Indirect Object

Just like with the direct objects, the indirect object pronouns in Spanish come before the verb, unlike in English where they come after.

  • ¿Me hablas? (Are you talking to me?)
  • Él nos enseña español. (He teaches us Spanish.)
  • Le doy mi llave. (I give you my key. / I give him my key.)

To clarify or to add emphasis to the indirect object, an additional phrase can be added:

  • ¿Me hablas a mí? (Are you talking to me?)
  • Él nos enseña español a nosotros. (He teaches us Spanish.)
  • Le doy mi llave a usted. (I give you my key.)
  • Le doy mi llave a él. (I give him my key.)

Can you find the indirect object pronouns in this conversation? Hint: There’s three!

spanish pronouns

For You Pronoun Pros

If all of this has been a review for you, let’s look at something a bit more difficult. You will find there to be times when you need to use both direct and indirect object pronouns. Luckily, this is not particularly difficult; however, it is important to remember some essential rules. In English, this looks like the following examples:

  • She gives it to me.
  • I tell it to you.
  • Send me that.

If you remember, the direct and indirect pronouns both go before the verb in Spanish. Therefore, when both pronouns are being used, the indirect object pronoun goes before the direct object pronoun, as seen here:

  • Ella me lo da. (She gives it to me.)
  • Te lo digo. (I tell it to you.)
  • Me lo mandas. (You send me that.)

Can you find examples of both direct and indirect object pronouns here?

spanish pronouns

But, what if we want to say “I give it to her?”

“Le lo doy” —Try saying this out loud. Doesn’t it sound a bit funny?

In Spanish, when certain pronouns are used together, the indirect pronoun changes to “se” to avoid silly sounds like “lelo.” Let’s call this the “Lelo Rule.” Check out this chart to help you:

Spanish Pronouns Lelo Rule

In order to clarify the indirect object, you can add a personal pronoun at the end using “a + personal pronoun.” This shows without a doubt who the indirect object refers to:

  • Se lo digo a usted. (I tell it to you.)
  • Se las doy a ellos. (I give them to them.)

The Importance of Pronouns

As you may have noticed, many of the pronouns are similar or exactly the same. This requires a great deal of concentration when learning, studying, and using new pronouns. The good news is, the more you study and practice, the faster you will be able to understand the different pronouns when native Spanish speakers use them. After enough practice, the pronouns will become second nature. Above all else, you will be able to automatically choose the right pronoun for every grammatical occasion.

Learn more about Spanish Pronouns!

Check out our youtube channel for more Spanish content.

Would you like a free Spanish eBook for beginners?

Homeschool Spanish Academy’s free eBook for beginners called Weird & Wacky Spanish Stories for Beginners is best suited for A2 level and above, but it’s also perfect for A1 learners who wish to improve their fluency through reading. It’s fun for kids and adults! Chock full of suspenseful and silly stories, great pictures, and English-Spanish parallel text. Enjoy!

spanish stories for beginners free ebook

Get Your Free Copy of Weird & Wacky Spanish Stories for Beginners

Type in your name and email to get 6 weird, wacky, and super entertaining Spanish stories for you and your family! Enjoy a magazine-style eBook with pictures and English-Spanish parallel text. Start reading in Spanish today!
sign up for a free spanish class
Sign up for your FREE SPANISH CLASS today!

Want to learn more Spanish grammar? You’ll love these:

  • Who, What, Where? Learn About Spanish Interrogatives
  • A Semi-Comprehensive List of -ER Verbs in Spanish
  • A Semi-Comprehensive List of -AR Verbs in Spanish
  • A Simple Lesson on Direct vs Indirect Spanish
  • What are Spanish ‘Go Verbs’?
  • All About the Future Perfect Tense in Spanish
  • 38 Regular IR and ER Verbs in Spanish You Can Master Today
  • Entender Conjugation: Free Spanish Lesson and PDF
  • Author
  • Recent Posts
Lindsay Brown
Lindsay Brown
Director of Content at Homeschool Spanish Academy
Lover of words and a foreign language fanatic, I'm fluent in French and Spanish, with BA degrees in Linguistics, French, and Psychology, plus a TEFL certificate and 10+ years of teaching experience to boot. I blissfully share Spanish-learning tips, best-idea-ever travel advice, and at-a-glance cultural guides. When you can't find me writing spiritedly from my home office in Antigua, Guatemala, I'm probably outside playing games and exploring nature with my two bilingual kids.
Lindsay Brown
Latest posts by Lindsay Brown (see all)
  • Spanish Food and Cooking Words for Your Preschooler - January 10, 2021
  • Rooms in Spanish: Extensive House and Furniture Vocabulary - January 4, 2021
  • Celebrate Thanksgiving in Spanish! Vocabulary for Kids - November 19, 2020
how to learn spanish learn Spanish learn spanish fast learning a second language
0

Related Posts

Spanish commands

Spanish Commands: How to Form Them and Use Them with Your Crew

February 19, 2019
Read More
Spanish greetings

How Are You? Spanish Greetings

February 6, 2019
Read More
spanish pronouns

Spanish Pronouns

February 11, 2019
Read More
vos in Spanish

Vos and its use in Spanish – Voseo

March 28, 2019
Read More

Leave a Comment! Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

How Are You? Spanish GreetingsPrevious Post
Valentines or Palentines? 4 Tips for Día Del CariñoNext Post

About Us

HSA offers Spanish curricula for all ages. Schedule classes on any day of the week – you can take them on your own, or share a class and save money! We make it easy to learn at your own pace. LEARN MORE >

Resources

  • About
  • Get a Transcript
  • Take a Free Class
  • FAQs
  • How it Works
  • Partners

Recent Posts

  • 10 Most Popular Latin American Film Festivals in the United States
    10 Most Popular Latin American Film Festivals in the United States
    March 7, 2021
    Latin American film festivals have become...
  • 10 Online Games and Activities for National Foreign Language Week 2021
    10 Online Games and Activities for National Foreign Language Week 2021
    March 7, 2021
    National Foreign Language Week 2021 is here!...

Terms & Conditions Privacy Policy Contact UsSitemap© 2021 HSA. All rights reserved.