Two Pronouns at Once
When we talk about lending, returning, or offering items, we often use two pronouns in the same sentence. One pronoun replaces the object itself (the direct object: lo, la, los, las), and the other tells us who is receiving it (the indirect object: me, te, nos, os).
When you combine them, there is a strict ordering rule: the indirect object always comes first.
| Indirect (Who) | Direct (What) | Verb |
|---|---|---|
| me / te | lo / la | prestas / devuelvo |
Both pronouns are placed immediately before the conjugated verb. You can remember this strict order by thinking, "People come before things."
| I need the charger, but you never lend it to me. | Necesito el cargador, pero nunca me lo prestas. |
| The tool is broken. I return it to you. | La herramienta está rota. Te la devuelvo. |
Matching Gender and Number
Remember that the direct object pronoun must match the gender and number of the item you are talking about.
If someone asks for el paraguas (masculine singular), use lo. If you are talking about la cámara (feminine singular), use la.
| The camera is very expensive. I never lend it to you. | La cámara es muy cara. Nunca te la presto. |
This works exactly the same way with plural subjects and objects. If you are showing an item to a group of people, the indirect object becomes plural (nos or os). If you are returning multiple items, the direct object pronoun becomes plural (los or las).
| You all like the photo. I am showing it to you all. | Os gusta la foto. Os la muestro. |
| The teacher has the charger and my notebook. He returns them to me. | El profesor tiene el cargador y mi cuaderno. Me los devuelve. |
Negative Sentences
To make the sentence negative, simply place no directly in front of the pronoun pair. The two pronouns act as a single block and are never separated from each other.
| I am reading the book. I am not showing it to you. | Estoy leyendo el libro. No te lo muestro. |
