Direct Objects, the Personal a, and Direct Object Pronouns (Los complementos directos, la a personal, y los pronombres de complemento directo)

A direct object is a thing or person that receives the direct action of the verb. I eat fruit. Yo como fruta. Óscar hugs his wife. Óscar abraza a su esposa.

Notice that direct objects that are people or domesticated animals (and sometimes personified things) are signaled by the personal a. Ó scar kisses his wife. Óscar besa a su esposa. More information about the personal a follows on the next slide. I walk my dog every morning. Paseo a mi perro todas las mañanas. Patriots love their country. Los patriotas aman a su patria.

Ó scar has a very pretty wife. Óscar tiene una esposa muy bonita. We’re looking for an efficient secretary. Buscamos una secretaria eficiente. More on the personal a Generally, the personal a is not used after the verb tener. Nor is it used with a direct object that is an unspecified or indefinite person.

Alicia visits the doctor. Alicia visita al médico. Whom is Elisa calling? ¿A quién llama Elisa? More on the personal a The personal a followed by the definite article el contracts to form al. When the interrogative quién(es) requests information about the direct object, the personal a precedes it. The personal a must be repeated before each human direct object in a series. Visito a Emilio y a Lola. I visit Emilio and Lola.

A direct object is a thing or person that answers what or whom, respectively, in the following equation: SUBJECT + VERB + WHAT (WHOM) DIRECT OBJECT Yocomo fruta Identifying a direct object

Did you buy? Yes, I bought. Did you pay a lot for? Well,weren’t cheap. Can you borrow? No, because I paid a lot for Pronouns take the place of the noun. In this case they take place of the “object.” We use them to avoid repetition.

DIRECT OBJECT PRONOUNS The Direct Object Pronoun replaces the Direct Object. me (me) te (you-familiar) lo, la (him, her, it, you-formal) nos (us) os (you-all-familiar) los, las (them, you-all-formal)

The direct object pronouns in Spanish are as follows: me te lo, la nos os los, las for people (lo, la)(los, las) for people and things These are used exclusively These are used

Yo compro libros. Yo los compro aquí. Now let’s see how pronouns replace things or people that are direct objects.

Óscar abraza a su hija. Óscar la abraza. Now let’s see how pronouns replace things or people that are direct objects.

Óscar abraza a su hija. Notice that the personal a goes away when the direct object noun is replaced by a direct object pronoun. Óscar la abraza. a

Óscar visita a su hija. Óscar la visita. or after an infinitive or gerund (present participle). Óscar la va a visitar. Óscar va a visitarla. Óscar la está visitando. Óscar está visitándola. ALL object pronouns are placed either before a conjugated verb. PLACEMENT OF PRONOUNS

Adolfo puede hablar el italiano. Adolfo puede hablar. Ellos están leyendo las novelas. están leyendo todos los días. Están leyéndo todos los días. lo Las las

U NDERLINE THE D IRECT O BJECT AND THEN CHANGE IT FOR A D IRECT O BJECT P RONOUN. O NE TIME PRECEDING THE CONJUGATED VERB AND ONE TIME ATTACHED AT THE END OF THE INFINITIVE. Korina lo quiere aprender. Korina quiere aprenderlo. Timoteo la está aprendiendo. Timoteo está aprendiéndola.

En conversación. ¿Me vas a invitar a tu fiesta? Sí, te voy a invitar. ¿Nos puedes ayudar mañana? No, no los puedo ayudar.

In negative sentences, the direct object pronoun is placed between no and the conjugated verb. Adolfo no la va a llamar. Adolfo is not going to call her. But, again, as in affirmative sentences, the object pronoun may be attached to the end of the infinitive or present participle. Adolfo no va a llamarla.

If the sentence is negative: the Direct Object Pronoun goes between NO and the VERB (No + D.O.P. + Verb). M AKE THE NEXT SENTENCES NEGATIVE. No las escribe siempre. No los compra todos los fines de semana. No la encuentro en la escuela.

FIN