Les presto mi libro a mis amigos.

the book

Breakdown of Les presto mi libro a mis amigos.

• yo: I
• mi: my
• el amigo: the friend
• a: to
• mis: my
• prestar: to lend
• les: them

Questions & Answers about Les presto mi libro a mis amigos.

What is the function of les in the sentence?

Les is the indirect object pronoun that replaces a mis amigos. It means “to them” and indicates who receives the action of lending the book.

Why does the sentence include both les and a mis amigos? Isn't that redundant?

No, it isn’t redundant. In Spanish it is common to use an indirect object pronoun along with an explicit indirect object. The pronoun (les) provides grammatical completeness, while a mis amigos clarifies exactly who is receiving the book.

What does presto mean, and why is this form used?

Presto is the first person singular present tense form of the verb prestar, meaning “I lend.” The subject yo (I) is implied, and the present tense tells us that the action is happening currently or habitually.

What role does the preposition a play in a mis amigos?

The preposition a introduces the explicit indirect object. It indicates that the action is directed toward mis amigos (my friends), showing them as the recipients of the book.

Why is it mi libro and not mis libros?

Mi libro is singular, meaning “my book” (one book). If you were referring to multiple books, you would use mis libros.

How does the sentence structure help in understanding who lends the book and who receives it?

The structure follows a typical Spanish order: the indirect object pronoun (les) appears before the verb (presto), and the explicit indirect object (a mis amigos) follows the direct object (mi libro). This clear ordering helps to show that the implied subject (I) lends the book to the friends.

Does the gender or number of mis amigos affect the choice of les?

No, les is the standard indirect object pronoun for plural recipients regardless of gender. Whether mis amigos refers to a group of males, females, or a mixed group, les is used to indicate “to them.”