0:d1Both direct and indirect object pronouns are the same except for the third person singular and plural forms.
Direct object pronouns:
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me | me | nos | us |
te | you | os | you all |
lo | him,it | los | them |
la | her,it | las | them |
Indirect object pronouns:
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me | from/to me | nos | us |
te | from/to you | os | from/to you all |
le | from/to him, her, you | les | from/to them, you |
Direct object pronouns are used in place of nouns that directly receive the action of the verb.
Direct pronouns answer the questions ¿qué? and ¿quién? (what? and who?), while indirect ones answer the question ¿a quién? (for whom? and to whom?).
Indirect object pronouns always refer to people and are used when the action of the verb is directed to or from the person or persons. Since the indirect object pronoun le can refer to him, her, or you, Spanish often clarifies such a sentence by the addition of a + the appropriate prepositional form.
Direct pronoun lo can also refer to actions, situations or ideas in general. In such a case it expresses English it or that.
Placement (one pronoun):
(After no) and before conjugated verb:
Yo no le he escrito./I have not written to him (her, you).
Luis les habla (a ellos)./Luis speaks to them.
After and attached to an infinitive:
Le tengo que escribir/Tengo que escribirle./I have to write him.
After and attached to an affirmative command:
Pongalo ahí./Put it there.
No lo ponga ahí./Don't put it there.
After and attached to a present participle:
Lo estaremos comiendo toda la semana. Estaremos comiéndolo toda la semana.
We will be eating it all week.
Placement (two pronouns):
When there are both direct and indirect pronouns, the order is Indirect/Direct and nothing between them.
Pablo me da el dinero - [me = a mí] [el dinero = lo] / Pablo gives the money to me.
Pablo me lo da./Pablo gives it to me.
Ella nos está comprando unos regalos. - [nos = a nosotros] [unos regalos = los]
Ella nos los está comprando./She is buying them for me.
Ella está comprándonoslos.
If there is a direct pronoun after the indirect le/les becames se.
Pedro le escribe una carta a su hermana. [una carta = la] [a su hermana = le]
Pedro le escribe una carta./Pedro writes a letter to her.
Pedro se la escribe. (le is changed by se)./Pedro writes it to her.