Word
Mi abuela me lo explicaba con paciencia y yo se lo repetía a mi hermana.
Meaning
My grandmother would explain it to me patiently and I would repeat it to my sister.
Part of speech
sentence
Pronunciation
Course
Lesson
Breakdown of Mi abuela me lo explicaba con paciencia y yo se lo repetía a mi hermana.
yo
I
mi
my
con
with
me
me
Questions & Answers about Mi abuela me lo explicaba con paciencia y yo se lo repetía a mi hermana.
What do the pronouns mean here?
- me = to me (indirect object)
- lo = it (direct object; the thing being explained/repeated)
- se = to her (here), i.e., le changed to se before a direct object pronoun
- a mi hermana = clarifies who se refers to (“to my sister”)
Why is it se lo and not le lo?
Because when an indirect object pronoun le/les appears before a direct object pronoun lo/la/los/las, Spanish changes le/les to se to avoid the awkward sequence le lo. It’s a sound/structure rule, not reflexive.
- Example: Le expliqué el tema a Ana → Se lo expliqué a Ana.
What order do the object pronouns have to follow?
Indirect object first, then direct object:
- me/te/se/nos/os + lo/la/los/las So: me lo, se lo, not “lo me” or “lo se.” This order stays the same whether they go before a finite verb or attach to an infinitive/gerund/affirmative command.
Why is the imperfect (explicaba, repetía) used instead of the preterite?