español · A2 · grammar · 4 minutes
Direct-object pronouns
Replace repeated objects while preserving their gender and number.
Understand the choice
A direct-object pronoun lets Spanish avoid repeating the person or thing directly affected by an action. Its gender and number come from the replaced Spanish noun, and its normal home is before a conjugated verb.
Core rule: Replace a direct object with lo, la, los, or las and place it before a conjugated verb.
Notice it in context
Compro el pan y lo llevo a casa.
I buy the bread and take it home.
Replace a direct object with lo, la, los, or las and place it before a conjugated verb.
¿Tienes las llaves? No las encuentro.
Do you have the keys? I cannot find them.
Las replaces feminine plural llaves.
Voy a comprarlo mañana.
I am going to buy it tomorrow.
The pronoun may attach to an infinitive.
What to remember
- Lo and la replace one masculine or feminine object; los and las replace plural objects.
- With an infinitive or gerund, the pronoun may attach: voy a comprarlo; estoy buscándola.
Common trap: Do not choose lo or la from the object’s English gender. The Spanish noun controls the pronoun: el pan → lo; la llave → la.