Double object pronouns (dámelo, comprándoselo)

Attaching double pronouns

When a sentence uses both an indirect object pronoun (to/for whom) and a direct object pronoun (what), they always appear together. The indirect object always comes first.

Like single pronouns, double pronouns can attach directly to the end of affirmative commands, infinitives, and gerunds (the -ando/-iendo forms).

Maintaining the stress

Attaching two extra syllables to a verb shifts its natural stress. To preserve the original pronunciation, you must add a written accent mark (a tilde).

For affirmative commands, place the accent on the vowel that was stressed before adding the pronouns:

For infinitives, the accent always falls on the final vowel of the infinitive ending (-ár, -ér, or -ír):

For gerunds, place the accent on the a in -ando or the e in -iendo:

The "se" rule

Spanish has a strict spelling rule: you cannot place two pronouns that start with the letter l next to each other.

If you combine a third-person indirect object (le or les) with a third-person direct object (lo, la, los, or las), the indirect object changes to se.

For example, le + lo becomes selo, and les + la becomes sela.

This rule applies everywhere, including when attaching pronouns. The accent rules you just learned stay exactly the same: