Spanish direct object pronouns

1. Complementos Directos
(Direct Objects)
y
Los Pronombres
de Complementos
Directos
(Direct object Pronouns)

2. What is a direct object?
A direct object receives the
ACTION of the verb.
Answers the questions
WHAT? or WHOM?
Do you see the truck?
direct object
You see WHAT?

3. What is a direct object?
A direct object receives the
ACTION of the verb.
Answers the questions
WHAT? or WHOM?
Do you see the truck?
direct object
You see WHAT?

4. What does a direct object pronoun do?
A direct object pronoun takes the
place of a direct object.
Do you see the truck?
Yes, I see it.
direct object
direct
object
pronoun

5. What does a direct object pronoun do?
A direct object pronoun takes the
place of a direct object.
Do you have the books?
Yes, I have them.
direct object
direct
object
pronoun
You
have
WHAT
?

6. What does a direct object pronoun do?
A direct object pronoun takes the
place of a direct object.
Do they want the hamburgers?
Yes, they want them.
direct object
direct
object
pronoun
They
want
WHAT
?

7. What does a direct object pronoun do?
A direct object pronoun takes the
place of a direct object.
Can you see us?
Yes, I can see you all.
direct
object
pronoun
direct
object
pronoun
You
see
WHOM?

8. Direct object pronouns
(DOPs)
me
you (fam.)
you (form.)
him, it(m.)
us
you (pl.)
them (m.)
her, it(f.) them (f.)
= me
= te
= lo, la
= lo
= la
= nos
= los, las
= los
= las
You (pl. Esp.) = os
English Spanish English Spanish

9. Notice the placement of the direct object pronouns:
I watch it.
direct
object
pronoun
Yo lo miro.
direct
object
pronoun
verb
verb
In English the
DOP is placed
AFTER the
verb.
In Spanish the DOP is usually
put BEFORE the conjugated
verb.

10. Notice the placement of the direct object pronouns in
Spanish:
We watch you.
direct
object
pronoun
Nosotros te miramos.
direct
object
pronoun
verb
verb
Spanish: BEFORE
English:AFTER

11. Notice the placement of the direct object pronouns in
Spanish:
She sings them (las canciones).
direct
object
pronoun
Ella las canta.
direct
object
pronoun
verb
verb
Spanish: BEFORE
English:AFTER

12. Notice the placement of the DOP in a
NEGATIVE sentence in Spanish:
Él no las escribe.
direct
object
pronoun
verb
In a NEGATIVE Spanish sentence the DOP is placed in
front of the conjugated verb.
It can NOT be placed in front of “no”.

13. Notice the placement of the direct object pronouns in a
negative sentence in Spanish:
Los estudiantes no la hacen.
direct
object
pronoun
verb
In a NEGATIVE Spanish sentence the DOP is placed in
front of the conjugated verb.
It can NOT be placed in front of “no”.

14. Notice the placement of the direct object pronouns in a
sentence with an INFINITIVE construction in Spanish:
¿Quieres tomar el examen ahora?
Sí, lo quiero tomar ahora.
Sí, quiero tomarlo ahora.
The direct object pronoun can be placed either BEFORE
a CONJUGATED verb or AFTER the INFINITIVE.

15. Notice the placement of the direct object pronouns in a
sentence with an infinitive construction in Spanish:
¿Vas a mandar la carta?
Sí, la voy a mandar.
Sí, voy a mandarla.
The direct object pronoun can be placed either BEFORE
a CONJUGATED verb or AFTER the INFINITIVE.

16. Notice the placement of the direct object pronouns in a
sentence with an infinitive construction in Spanish:
¿Van a estudiar las lecciones?
No, no las voy a estudiar.
No, no voy a estudiarlas.
The direct object pronoun can be placed either BEFORE
a CONJUGATED verb or AFTER the INFINITIVE.

17. Rewrite the following sentence replacing the direct
object with the direct object pronoun. Then translate
the sentence into English.
Yo veo la casa.
Yo ___ veo.

18. Yo veo la casa.
Yo la veo.Yo la veo.
I see it.
Check your answer.

19. Rewrite the following sentence replacing the direct
object with the direct object pronoun. Then translate
the sentence into English.
Leemos los libros.
_____ leemos.

20. Leemos los libros.
Los leemos.
We read them.
Check your answer.

21. Rewrite the following sentence replacing the direct
object with the direct object pronoun. Then translate
the sentence into English.
Ellos buscan a nosotros.
Ellos ____buscan.

22. Ellos buscan a nosotros.
Ellos nos buscan.
They look for us.
Check your answer.

23. Rewrite the following sentence replacing the direct object with the
direct object pronoun. Then translate the sentence into English.
In these sentences there are two different locations where the
pronoun can be placed, write the sentence both ways.
Vamos a ver el video.
_____ vamos a ver.
Vamos a ver____.

24. Vamos a ver el video.
Lo vamos a ver.
Vamos a verlo.
We are going to watch it.
Check your answer.

25. ¿Quieres sacar la basura?
¿____ quieres sacar?
¿Quieres sacar____.
Rewrite the following sentence replacing the direct object with the
direct object pronoun. Then translate the sentence into English.
In these sentences there are two different locations where the
pronoun can be placed, write the sentence both ways.

26. ¿Quieres sacar la basura?
¿La quieres sacar?
¿Quieres sacarla.
Do you want to take it out?
Check your answer.

27. Answer the following question making sure to use a
direct object pronoun. If (no) follows the question
answer in the negative. If (sí) follows, answer in the
affirmative.
¿Llevas los shorts en el verano? (sí )
Sí, ____ llevo en el verano.

28. ¿Llevas los shorts en el verano? (sí )
Sí, los llevo en el verano.
Check your answer.

29. ¿Cantan Uds. las canciones? (no)
No, no ____ cantamos.
Answer the following question making sure to use a
direct object pronoun. If (no) follows the question
answer in the negative. If (sí) follows, answer in the
affirmative.

30. ¿Cantan Uds. las canciones? (no)
No, no las cantamos.
Check your answer.

31. ¿Invitan ellos a Ana y José? (sí )
Sí, ____ invitan.
Answer the following question making sure to use a
direct object pronoun. If (no) follows the question
answer in the negative. If (sí) follows, answer in the
affirmative.

32. ¿Invitan ellos a Ana y José? (sí )
Sí, los invitan.
Check your answer.

33. ¿Me ayudas? (sí)
Sí, ___ ayudo.
Answer the following question making sure to use a
direct object pronoun. If (no) follows the question
answer in the negative. If (sí) follows, answer in the
affirmative.

34. ¿Me ayudas? (sí)
Sí, te ayudo.
If the question
has ME, answer
with TE!
If the question
has TE, answer
with ME!
Check your answer.

35. ¿Quieres leer los libros? (sí)
Sí, _____ quiero leer.
Sí, quiero leer____.
Answer the following question making sure to use a
direct object pronoun. If (no) follows the question
answer in the negative. If (sí) follows, answer in the
affirmative.

36. ¿Quieres leer los libros? (sí)
Sí, los quiero leer.
Sí, quiero leerlos.
Check your answer.

37. Resumen
• Direct Objects receive the action of the verb.
• DOs answer the questions WHAT? or WHOM?
• Direct Object Pronouns REPLACE the direct
object noun in the sentence.
• DOPs are placed BEFORE a CONJUGATED
verb or AFTER an INFINITIVE.