Direct Objects and Direct Object Pronouns
Look at the sentences: Yo lavo el carro. Ella ayuda a la niña. Nosotros escribimos unas cartas a nuestros amigos. There are various parts to each: a subject a verb a direct object
A direct object answers the question “who” or “what”. A direct object receives the action of the verb. Yo lavo … what ? The answer is el carro. -direct object Ella ayuda… who ? Ella ayuda a la niña. – direct object
Many times, the direct object in a sentence is replaced by a direct object pronoun. ¿Lavaste el carro? Did you wash the car? Yes, I washed it. Sí, yo lo lavé.
The direct object pronouns are: me nos te os lo los la las
The direct object pronoun will always agree in gender and number with the direct object. Masculine singular : lo Masculine plural: los Feminine singular : la Feminine plural : las
The direct object pronoun replaces the direct object in the sentence and has it’s own meaning. me – menos - us te – youos - you lo - it, himlos- them la – it, herlas - them
The difference in Spanish and English is that the direct object pronoun in Spanish comes before the conjugated verb. I wash it. Yo lavo el carro. lo Yo lo lavo.
Ella ayuda a la niña. Ella la ayuda. Other examples… la Nosotros escribimos unas cartas a nuestros amigos. Nosotros las escribimos a nuestros amigos. (We write them…) She helps her.
If you have a negative sentence, the pronoun still goes right in front of the conjugate verb. Ana y Chela no secan los platos. Ana y Chela no los secan. los Ana y Chela don’t dry them.
If the sentence has an infinitive, you should attach the pronoun to the infinitive. Debo planchar la camisa.la Debo plancharla. I should iron it.