Breakdown of El gato tiene una herida. Lávela y cúrela.
y
and
tener
to have
el gato
the cat
una
a, an (feminine)
Questions & Answers about El gato tiene una herida. Lávela y cúrela.
Why is the pronoun attached to the end of the verbs in Lávela and cúrela?
Because these are affirmative commands (telling someone to do something). In Spanish, object pronouns like la (it) must be attached directly to the end of affirmative command verbs, rather than placed in front of them.
Why do we use la here instead of lo? Isn't the cat masculine?
Why are there accent marks on Lávela and cúrela?
When you attach a pronoun to a command, you add an extra syllable to the word. To keep the natural spoken stress on the original part of the verb (lave and cure), you have to add a written accent mark. Without it, the rules of Spanish pronunciation would force you to stress the new second-to-last syllable.
Are these commands formal or informal?