Object pronouns replace nouns, and direct object pronouns always answer the question "what?" or "whom?". Let's look at the following example:
Who is eating my food? Juan is eating it.
It is clear that the pronoun "it" refers to the food, and it answers the question "who is eating what?" Direct object pronouns in Spanish function as they do in English, but they may be placed differently. The following list contains the Spanish direct object pronouns:
Direct object (DO) pronouns
Singular
Plural
me
(me)
nos
(us)
te
(you (familiar))
os
(you (familiar, plural))
lo
(him, it (masculine) , you (formal) )
los
(them, you (formal, familiar))
la
(her, it (feminine), you (formal) )
las
(them, you (formal, familiar))
In affirmative and negative sentences, the DO pronoun is placed before the simple and compound verbs. However, when we give affirmative commands, we attach it to the verb.
- Marcos hace los deberes. Marcos los hace.
(Marcos does his homework. Marcos does it.)
- ¿Has visto las llaves de mi coche? ¿Las has visto?
(Have you seen the keys to my car? Have you seen them?)
- ¡No subas las escaleras! ¡No las subas!
(Don´t climb the stairs! Don´t climb them!)
- Llama a la policía. ¡Llámala!
(Call the police. Call them!)
When we use DO pronouns with infinitives and gerunds, we can place them before the verb (simple or compound) or attach it at the end (forming one word):
- No quiero comprar este reloj. No quiero comprarlo.
(I don´t want to buy this watch. I don´t want to buy it.)
- No quiero comprar este reloj. No lo quiero comprar.
(I don´t want to buy this watch. I don´t want to buy it.)
- En este momento estoy leyendo el libro. Estoy leyéndolo.
(At this moment I am reading the book. I am reading it.)
- En este momento estoy leyendo el libro. Lo estoy leyendo.
(At this moment I am reading the book. I am reading it.)
- María andaba buscando a Juan y Nacho. María los andaba buscando.
(María was looking for Juan and Nacho. She was looking for them.)
- María andaba buscando a Juan y Nacho. María andaba buscándolos.
(María was looking for Juan and Nacho. She was looking for them.)
