Pablo has taught college Spanish at the University of Missouri and Central Methodist University, and has a master's degree in Spanish literature.
Using Double Object Pronouns in Spanish
Indirect and Direct Object Pronouns
Today's lesson is about double object pronouns, which means both an indirect object (IO) pronoun and direct object (DO) pronoun are used in the sentence. So, before we jump in, let's review IO and DO pronouns.
Look at this sentence: Mi mamá me regaló el carro a mí.
Can you label the parts of the sentence? Remember that a direct object is a noun that receives the action of the verb. An indirect object is a noun that indirectly receives the action of the verb and answers the question to whom or for whom. In the example sentence, the car is what was gifted and 'a mí' and 'me' answers the question 'to whom.'
Subject | IO pronoun | Verb | DO | IO |
Mi mamá | me | regaló | el carro | a mí |
- The DO pronouns are as follows: me, te, lo/la, nos, os, los/las.
- The IO pronouns are: me, te, le, nos, os, les.
But the pronouns change when we use both in the same sentence.

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Yes! Keep playing.Double Object Pronouns
Combining IO and DO pronouns in a sentence will use the following pronouns:
IO | Double Object IO |
---|---|
me | me |
te | te |
le | se |
nos | nos |
os | os |
les | se |
DO | Double Object DO |
---|---|
me | lo/la |
te | lo/la |
lo/la | lo/la |
nos | los/las |
os | los/las |
los/las | los/las |
Notice the IO pronouns are the same whether the sentence has only IO pronouns or double object pronouns except 'le' and 'les' become 'se.' The singular DO pronouns (me, te, lo/la) all become 'lo' or 'la' and the plural DO pronouns (nos, os, los/las) become 'los' and 'las.' In a double object pronoun sentence, the IO pronoun comes first, followed by the DO pronoun. Look at these examples and notice the IO and DO order and use.
Mi mamá me regaló el carro a mí. | Mi mamá me lo regaló. |
Yo le escribí una carta a él. | Yo se la escribí. |
Nosotros compramos los zapatos para ti. | Nosotros te los compramos. |
Papá, vas a repararme el carro a mí? | Si, te lo voy a reparar. |
Notice 'a mí' in the question changes to 'te' in the answer because the child asked and the father responded.
Practicar
Convert the following sentences with IO and DO into sentences with double object pronouns.
1. Mi amiga me recomienda la falda a mí.
2. Ellos compraron la computadora para él.
3. El jefe nos mostró las pantallas a nosotros.
4. Santiago puede traer el reloj para ti.
5. La tienda tiene el escritorio para ellos.
Now fill in the blanks with the correct IO pronoun and DO pronoun following each question.
6. Quieren comprar el carro para su hijo? Sí, _____ _____ quieren comprar.
7. Recomiendas esta computadora para ella? No, no _____ _____ recomiendo.
8. Te va a regalar el vestido a ti? Sí, _____ _____ va a regalar.
9. La empleada nos va a mostrar las opciones a nosotros? Sí, la empleada _____ _____ va a mostrar.
10. Me quieres dar tus computadoras a mí? No, no _____ _____ quiero dar.
Lesson Summary
Today we reviewed indirect object and direct object pronouns before learning how to combine the two in one sentence. Remember, when both are used in a sentence, the following pronouns are used:
IO | DO |
---|---|
me | lo(s)/la(s) |
te | lo(s)/la(s) |
se | lo(s)/la(s) |
nos | lo(s)/la(s) |
os | lo(s)/la(s) |
se | lo(s)/la(s) |
It is also important to remember the IO pronoun always comes before the DO pronoun. Aprendieron la lección de hoy? I hope the answer is: sí, nos la aprendimos.
Answer Key:
- Mi amiga me la recomienda
- Ellos se la compraron
- El jefe nos las mostró
- Santiago te lo puede traer
- La tienda se lo tiene
- se lo
- se la
- me lo
- nos las
- te las
Learning Outcomes
After you have finished with this lesson, you should be able to:
- Define indirect and direct object pronouns
- Explain how to use these pronouns in the same sentence in Spanish
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Using Double Object Pronouns in Spanish
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