Personal Pronouns — Direct Object Pronouns

Personal Pronouns — Direct Object Pronouns

The direct object (noun or pronoun) of a sentence is the complement or "completer" of a verb of action. It receives the action of the verb directly; that is, the direct object is acted upon by the subject. It answers "what?" when it is referring to things.

For example:

John throws the ball.

What does John throw?

Answer: the ball; therefore, ball is the direct object noun.

Mary loses the pencils.

What does Mary lose?

Answer: the pencils; therefore, pencils is the direct object noun.

Pablo reads the lesson.

What does Pablo read?

Answer: the lesson; therefore, lesson is the direct object noun.

All the direct objects underlined have been nouns. When a pronoun is substituted for each noun, the sentences read:

John throws it.

Mary loses them.

Pablo reads it.

The above underlined words are direct object pronouns. In a normal conversation one does not repeat the noun after it has already been established; in other words, one does not say: John throws the ball. John throws the ball fast. John throws the ball to first base. Instead, one says: John throws the ball. He throws it fast. He throws it to first base. Because of this normal trend in conversation, object pronouns are very important both in English and in Spanish. Since hardly anything is neuter in Spanish, we have to substitute object pronouns that agree both in number and gender with the noun they are replacing. Spanish direct object pronouns for things are:

singular	plural
lo - it (masculine) la - it (feminine)	los - them (masculine) las - them (feminine)

In English, when converting the noun into a pronoun the position of the direct object is not affected.

John throws it.
subject / verb / direct object pronoun

John throws the ball.
subject / verb / direct object noun

In Spanish, a direct object noun has the same position as in English.

John tira la pelota.
subject / verb / direct object noun

This is not so when a direct object pronoun is used in the Spanish sentence. The rules for the position of object pronouns in the Spanish sentence are:

a) Immediately before a conjugated verb.

John la tira.
John throws it.

b) Immediately before a governing verb or attached to the infinitive that accompanies the governing verb. (Will be discussed later.)

c) Immediately before the conjugated form of the verb when dealing with the perfect tenses.

John la ha tirado.
John has thrown it.

d) Immediately before the conjugated form of the verb estar or attached to the present participle when dealing
with the progressive tenses.

John la está tirando.
John is throwing it.

or

John está tirándola.
John is throwing it.

e) Attached to positive commands, but before negative commands.

(Will be discussed later.)

The direct object can also refer to a person or persons. It still receives the action of the verb, but in this case the direct object answers "whom?".

Jane sees John.

Whom does Jane see?

Answer: John; therefore, John is
the direct object noun.

Mary sees the men.

Whom does Mary see? Answer: the men; therefore,
men is the direct object
noun.

In Spanish, whenever the direct object is a definite person noun, it is introduced by the personal "a":

Jane ve a John.
Jane sees John.

Mary ve a los hombres.
Mary sees the men.

John ve a la mujer.
John sees the woman.

If pronouns are substituted for the direct object nouns, the sentences will read:

Jane sees him.

Mary sees them.

John sees her.

The English direct object pronouns for people and their Spanish equivalents are:

singular	plural
me - me	nos - us
te - you (informal)	os - you (informal)
lo - him, you, it (mas.) la - her, you, it (fem.)	los - them, you (mas.) las - them, you (fem.)

The position of object pronouns for persons is the same as that for things. If ambiguity exists when direct object pronouns in the third person are used, they may be explained further by the use of the prepositional pronoun.

Jane lo ve (a él).
Jane sees him.

Mary los ve (a ellos).
Mary sees them.

John la ve (a ella).
John sees her.