LOS PRONOMBRES
The rules for ALL pronouns (direct, indirect, and reflexive):

BEFORE a conjugated verb or negative command
o Me lavo la cara. (reflexive)
o Compro una gorra y la tengo aquí en la mochila. (direct)
o Te dije ayer. (indirect)
o No lo hagas. (direct, informal command)
o No se divierte. (reflexive, formal command)

AFTER AND ATTACHED to:
o Gerund (-ando/-iendo) – ACCENT!
 Está pintándose las uñas. (reflexive)
 Estoy comprándolo ahora (el regalo). (direct)
 Estaban diciéndote lo que pasó. (indirect)
o
Affirmative Command – ACCENT! (unless it’s only two syllables total)
 Siéntate. (reflexive)
 Hazlo ahora. (direct, two syllables)
 Dígale que va a hacer. (indirect)
o
Infinitive – NO ACCENT!
 Quiero acostarme a las ocho. (reflexive)
 Tengo unos zapatos nuevos y voy a llevarlos mañana. (direct)
 Juanita va a darle un regalo a Lupita. (indirect)
*******Remember if you add a pronoun to the end of a word, if that word has 3 or more syllables, you
MUST put an accent where the stress was originally!!!
********If you have double pronouns, the direct is always second and the other one is first. To remember this:
PEOPLE COME FIRST! The indirect and the reflexive are always people. ALWAYS REQUIRES ACCENT
WHEN BOTH ARE ATTACHED!!!
A. Indirect or Reflexive (people) always goes BEFORE the Direct Object:
 Voy a pintármelas (las uñas). This works when someone has already brought up the direct
object (nails).
 Dímelo. “Tell it to me.”
 Jorge está trayéndomela. – “He is bringing it to me.” (Where the “it” is a feminine noun (la
bebida).
 Yo te lo doy. – “I give it to you” (“it” is masculine, like el libro)
 Almita me lo compró. – “Almita bought it for me.” (“it” is masculine, like el cuaderno)
 Tráemelo. – “Bring it to me.” (“it” is masculine, like el zapato)
B. When you have 2 object pronouns beginning with “L”, the Indirect and/or Reflexive Pronoun becomes
se and is placed first. Double “L” is too hard! You can’t “le lo en México”
 Díselo. (Tell it to him/her.)
 Jovita y Elenita, no se lo den. (Jovita and Elenita, don’t give it to him)
 No se lo compra a ella. (Don’t buy it for her)
 Salva estaba comprándola a ella. (Salva was buying it for her)
NOTE: You will always end up with se lo, se los, se la, or se las because you always give someTHING(s)
to someone.
Created by Señor Bell
Reflexive Pronouns:
me
nos
te
os
se
se
1. When the person receiving the action is the same as the one doing the action (Note: possessive
adjectives are not used with reflexive pronouns).
a. Me lavo la cara. (I wash my face)
b. Se pinta las uñas. (She paints her nails)
2. When the verb in English is used with “to get” or “to become”
a. Me aburro. (I get bored)
b. Se pone furioso. (He gets furious)
Direct Object Pronouns:
me
nos
te
os
lo/la
los/las
1. Direct Object Pronouns replace direct object nouns.
a. Me ayudas. (You help me) Me is the direct object.
b. No te entiendo. (I don’t understand you) You is the direct object.
c. Voy a comprarlos mañana. (I’m going to buy them tomorrow) This is for when them is referring to
something that has already been discussed.
i. Think of this as instead of saying, “I saw shoes yesterday. I bought the shoes an hour
later. I am going to wear the shoes tomorrow. I have the shoes right now at my house.”
In English (and Spanish), that’s too repetitive and instead of saying “the shoes” a million
times, you’ll say it once and then say, “them” – which is “los/las” in Spanish.
Indirect Object Pronouns:
me
nos
te
os
le
les
1. Indirect Object Pronouns tells WHERE the direct object is going. Think of it as answering the
questions, “To whom?” or “For whom?”
a. Diles la verdad (a tus padres). “Tell your parents the truth.” The truth is the direct object, and
where is it going? To your parents.
b. Kiko nos dio un regalo. “Kiko gave us a gift.” The gift is the direct object and it’s going TO
us.
Created by Señor Bell