Learn Hardcore Spanish (Spain): Ayer le di el libro a Laura y ella se lo prestó a su pareja. - Yesterday I gave the book to Laura and she lent it to her partner.

le = to Laura (indirect object) in the first clause.
lo = the book (el libro) (direct object) in the second clause.
se = to her partner (a su pareja) in the second clause; it’s the indirect object pronoun that replaces le before lo/la/los/las.

Why is it le di el libro a Laura and not la di el libro a Laura?

Because Laura is the recipient (indirect object), so you need the indirect object pronoun le. La would be a direct object pronoun (her/it), which would mean you gave Laura herself to someone, not the book to Laura.

Isn’t le plus a Laura redundant?

In Spanish (especially in Spain), doubling the indirect object with a clitic is normal and very common: le di … a Laura. It’s often expected and sounds most natural. You can omit le in careful or literary style (di el libro a Laura), but everyday speech strongly favors the doubled form.

Why se lo instead of le lo?

Spanish changes le/les to se when it appears immediately before a direct object clitic (lo, la, los, las) to avoid the sequence le lo. So: se lo prestó = “(she) lent it to him/her/them.”

Could se here mean “herself”?

Not in this sentence. Here se is the dative (indirect) pronoun referring to a su pareja. If it were reflexive, you would typically see a clarifier like a sí misma. The presence of a su pareja shows it’s not reflexive.

Is the subject pronoun ella necessary?

No. Spanish usually omits subject pronouns. … y se lo prestó a su pareja is fine. Including ella adds clarity/emphasis or contrast (and helps the reader quickly switch from “I gave” to “she lent”).

Does ayer apply to both actions?

Yes, by default the sentence-initial time adverb Ayer scopes over both coordinated clauses: you gave Laura the book yesterday, and she lent it to her partner yesterday.

Why use the preterite (di, prestó) instead of the imperfect?

These are completed, time-bounded events, and ayer cues the preterite. The imperfect (daba, prestaba) would suggest an ongoing background action or habitual past, not a specific completed event yesterday.

Why does prestó have an accent but di does not?

Regular -ar preterite 3rd person singular forms carry a written accent (prestó) to mark stress. Di is a short, irregular form of dar and needs no accent (it’s a single syllable with no ambiguity).

Can I change the order of the objects, like Ayer le di a Laura el libro?

Yes. Both Ayer le di el libro a Laura and Ayer le di a Laura el libro are correct. The change slightly affects emphasis/information flow, but meaning stays the same.

Can the clitics go after the verb, like prestárselo?

They go before a finite verb (se lo prestó), but can attach to an infinitive, gerund, or affirmative command:

Infinitive: va a prestárselo
Gerund: está prestándoselo
Command: ¡Préstaselo!

Why lo and not la for the book?

Because libro is masculine singular, the direct object clitic is lo. If it were feminine plural (e.g., las revistas), it would be se las.

Does pareja mean a female partner?

Not necessarily. Pareja is a grammatically feminine noun that means “partner” regardless of the person’s gender. It’s gender-neutral in meaning.

Could su pareja be the subject of prestó?

No. A su pareja is marked with a, which here signals the indirect object (the recipient). The subject is ella (Laura). Also, the clitic se matches that indirect object.

Can I say y ella lo prestó a su pareja without se?

It’s possible but sounds off in most Spain-Spanish contexts. Doubling the indirect object with a clitic (se) is strongly preferred here: y ella se lo prestó a su pareja.

Is dejar also used for “to lend” in Spain?

Yes. In Spain, dejar algo a alguien is very common for “to lend.” Prestar is fully correct too. For “to borrow,” use pedir prestado (or tomar prestado): Laura le pidió prestado el libro a Juan.

Why a and not para for the recipient?

Recipients take a in Spanish (dar/prestar algo a alguien). Para expresses purpose/benefit, not the person receiving the object.

How would this change with plurals?

Multiple books: … y ella se los prestó a su pareja (books = masculine plural).
Multiple partners (e.g., two people): … y ella se lo prestó a sus parejas (recipient plural).
Both plural: … y ella se los prestó a sus parejas.

How do I make it crystal-clear that it’s “her partner” (Laura’s partner)?

Use a possessive phrase naming Laura: … y ella se lo prestó a la pareja de Laura. You can also reinforce the possessor in other ways: … a su propia pareja if you mean her own partner.

Why is it y ella and not e ella?

Spanish changes y to e only before words that start with the vowel sound /i/ (spelled i- or hi-), like e hijos. Ella starts with /e/, so you keep y: y ella.