Indirect object pronouns (le, les)

The Full Paradigm

An indirect object tells us to whom or for whom an action is done. You already know some of these pronouns; here is the complete list:

Like other pronouns, indirect object pronouns are placed immediately before the conjugated verb.

Using "le" and "les"

Use le when the indirect object is a single person (him, her, or formal you) and les for multiple people (them, or formal you all). They are extremely common with verbs of giving and telling, like dar (to give) and regalar (to give as a gift).

Clarifying with "a"

Because le and les can refer to several different people, they can sometimes be ambiguous. To be specific, Spanish speakers often add a + [the person] (e.g., a ella, al hombre).

Crucially, even when you state the person explicitly with a, you still need to include the pronoun le or les in the sentence.

Two-Verb Combinations

When using verbs that deal with transferring information or items, you will often see them in two-verb structures (like the present continuous or an infinitive phrase). Just remember that the pronoun still goes right before the conjugated verb.