Object Pronouns Practice

Q: What's the difference between direct and indirect object pronouns?

The direct object is the thing acted on — it answers what? or whom? (Lo veo = I see it/him). The indirect object is the recipient — it answers to whom? or for whom? (Le doy el libro = I give the book to him/her). They differ only in the third person: lo/la/los/las vs le/les.

Q: Where do object pronouns go in a sentence?

Before a conjugated verb (Lo veo), or attached to the end of an infinitive (verlo), a gerund (viéndolo), or an affirmative command (míralo). With a negative command they go before the verb (no lo mires).

Q: Why does le become se?

When an indirect le or les would come right before a direct lo, la, los, or las, it changes to se for pronunciation: se lo doy (not le lo doy). It happens only in this two-pronoun combination.

Q: What order do two object pronouns go in?

Indirect before direct, always: me lo da (gives it to me), te la mando (I send it to you), se lo digo (I tell it to him/her). Both pronouns sit together in the same position relative to the verb.

Q: How do I clarify an ambiguous le or se?

Add a plus a pronoun or name: Le escribo a ella, Se lo doy a ellos. Because le/les/se can refer to several people, this redundant phrase makes the recipient clear without changing the grammar.

Q: Are these object pronoun exercises free?

Yes. All 24 exercises run in your browser, need no signup, and include a clear explanation after every answer.

Question 1

¿El periódico? Yo ___ leo cada mañana.

Accepted Answer

lo. Periódico is masculine singular and the direct object (the thing read), so the pronoun is lo.

Question 2

¿La carta? Ya ___ escribí.

Accepted Answer

la. Carta is feminine singular and the direct object, so it's replaced by la.

Question 3

¿Las llaves? Las ___ en la mesa. (dejar)

Accepted Answer

dejé. Las already stands for las llaves (feminine plural direct object). The verb just needs the right form: dejé (I left).

Question 4

Yo ___ doy un regalo a María.

Accepted Answer

le. María is the recipient (to whom), so the indirect object pronoun le is used — doubled here with a María.

Question 5

___ escribo a mis abuelos cada semana.

Accepted Answer

Les. The recipients are mis abuelos (plural), so the indirect object pronoun is les.

Question 6

Mi madre ___ llama todos los días.

Accepted Answer

me. Calls me — I'm the direct object. In the first person, the direct and indirect form is the same: me.

Question 7

Tengo el libro aquí. Voy a ___. (read it)

Accepted Answer

leerlo. With an infinitive the pronoun attaches to the end: leerlo. (Lo veo and voy a verlo are both valid placements.)

Question 8

—¿Estás leyendo la novela? —Sí, estoy ___. (reading it)

Accepted Answer

leyéndola. With a gerund the pronoun attaches to the end and an accent is added: leyéndola. Novela is feminine, so la.

Question 9

¿El coche? ¡___! Está sucio. (wash it)

Accepted Answer

Lávalo. With an affirmative command the pronoun attaches to the end, with an accent to keep the stress: lávalo. Coche is masculine, so lo.

Question 10

Es un secreto. No ___ digas a nadie. (it)

Accepted Answer

lo. With a negative command the pronoun goes before the verb: no lo digas. Lo refers to the neuter idea (the secret / it).

Question 11

¿El dinero? Mi padre ___ dio ayer. (it to me)

Accepted Answer

me lo. Indirect comes before direct: me (to me) + lo (it) = me lo. Dinero is masculine, so lo.

Question 12

¿El libro a Juan? Ya ___ di. (it to him)

Accepted Answer

se lo. Le becomes se before lo/la/los/las. So to him + it = se lo, never le lo.

Question 13

¿La verdad a tus padres? Tienes que ___. (tell it to them)

Accepted Answer

decírsela. Les → se before la, and both attach to the infinitive with an accent: decírsela. La = la verdad.

Question 14

No te preocupes, yo ___ ayudo con la tarea.

Accepted Answer

te. Help you — you're the object. In the second person singular the form is te for both direct and indirect.

Question 15

¿Conoces a Pedro? Sí, ___ conozco bien.

Accepted Answer

lo. Pedro is a masculine direct object (whom you know), so the standard pronoun is lo. (In parts of Spain le is also accepted — leísmo.)

Question 16

¿Y a Marta? También ___ conozco.

Accepted Answer

la. Marta is a feminine direct object, so the pronoun is la. Unlike masculine, the feminine direct object never becomes le.

Question 17

A mis hermanos ___ gusta el fútbol.

Accepted Answer

les. Gustar always takes an indirect object. The recipients are mis hermanos (plural), so les.

Question 18

¿Quieres la sal? ¡___! (pass it to me)

Accepted Answer

Pásamela. Affirmative command + me (to me) + la (it) attach to the end with an accent: pásamela. Sal is feminine, so la.

Question 19

Tu hermana quiere el coche. ¿Vas a ___? (lend it to her)

Accepted Answer

prestárselo. Le → se before lo, both attach to the infinitive with an accent: prestárselo. Coche is masculine, so lo.

Question 20

Which sentence is wrong?

Accepted Answer

Le lo doy a Juan.. When le meets lo, it changes to se: se lo doy a Juan. Le lo is never correct.

Question 21

Which sentence has wrong placement?

Accepted Answer

No cómpralo.. In a negative command the pronoun goes before the verb: no lo compres. Attaching it (no cómpralo) is wrong — attachment only happens with affirmative commands.

Question 22

___ doy las gracias a usted por su ayuda.

Accepted Answer

Le. Usted is a single formal recipient (to you), so the indirect pronoun is le, doubled with a usted.

Question 23

Compré flores para mi madre y ___ di anoche. (them to her)

Accepted Answer

se las. Le → se before las. Flores is feminine plural, so las: se las di. You could add a ella to clarify se.

Question 24

Rewrite with pronouns: Doy el regalo a los niños.

Accepted Answer

Se lo doy.. El regalo (masculine singular) → lo; a los niños → les, which becomes se before lo. Result: se lo doy.

Object Pronouns Practice

The rule, in plain English.

Practice.

Other topics.

Possessive Adjectives Practice

Reflexive Verbs Practice

Commands Practice

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Common questions.