Direct object pronouns (me, te, lo, la, nos, os, los, las)

Level A2 · Refer to people and things as the object of a sentence, without repeating the noun.

¿Quieres la manzana? Sí, la quiero.Do you want the apple? Yes, I want it.

Once something has already been named, you don't need to repeat the noun every time you talk about it — a small pronoun can stand in for it instead. A direct object pronoun replaces the thing (or person) directly receiving the action of the verb.

Quick shortcut: me, te, lo/la, nos, os, los/las — usually placed right before the conjugated verb; with affirmative commands, attached to the end instead. lo/la/los/las must match the gender and number of the noun they replace.

The direct object pronouns

English equivalent	Pronoun	Replaces
(me)	me	me
(you, informal)	te	you
(him/it, masc.)	lo	a masculine singular noun
(her/it, fem.)	la	a feminine singular noun
(us)	nos	us
(you all)	os	you all
(them, masc.)	los	masculine plural nouns
(them, fem.)	las	feminine plural nouns

Veo a Juan. → Lo veo. (I see him.) Compro las flores. → Las compro. (I buy them.) The pronoun matches the noun it replaces, not the speaker or listener — las flores is feminine plural, so it becomes las, regardless of who's talking.

Where the pronoun goes

The direct object pronoun goes right before the conjugated verb:

¿Tienes mi libro? Sí, lo tengo. (Do you have my book? Yes, I have it.) ¿Conoces a mis padres? No, no los conozco. (Do you know my parents? No, I don't know them.)

With an infinitive or a gerund, the pronoun can attach to the end instead, and both options are equally correct:

Voy a comprarlo. / Lo voy a comprar. (I'm going to buy it.) Estoy leyéndolo. / Lo estoy leyendo. (I'm reading it.)

With an affirmative command, the pronoun always attaches to the end: ¡Cómelo! (Eat it!), never ¡Lo come!

Common mistakes

❌ ¿Tienes la llave? Sí, lo tengo. → ✅ ¿Tienes la llave? Sí, la tengo. (la llave is feminine, so the pronoun must be la, not lo)
❌ Veo los a mis amigos. → ✅ Veo a mis amigos. / Los veo. (once the pronoun replaces the noun phrase, the noun phrase itself drops out — the pronoun isn't inserted alongside it)
❌ Quiero lo comprar. → ✅ Quiero comprarlo. / Lo quiero comprar. (with an infinitive, the pronoun attaches to its end or moves before the first conjugated verb — it can't sit between the two verbs)
❌ ¡Cómelo no! (trying to say "don't eat it") → ✅ ¡No lo comas! (a negative command puts the pronoun back in front, unlike an affirmative one — this contrast is worth remembering as its own pattern)

Quick check

Replace the underlined noun with the correct direct object pronoun.

¿Compras el pan? Sí, ___ compro.
¿Ves a María? Sí, ___ veo.
¿Tienes las entradas? Sí, ___ tengo.
¿Conoces a mis hermanos? Sí, ___ conozco.
¿Necesitas mi ayuda? Sí, ___ necesito.

Show answers

Sí, lo compro. 2. Sí, la veo. 3. Sí, las tengo. 4. Sí, los conozco. 5. Sí, la necesito.

Key takeaways

Direct object pronouns (me, te, lo, la, nos, os, los, las) replace a noun that's already been named.
lo/la/los/las match the gender and number of the noun they replace, not the speaker.
With a conjugated verb, the pronoun goes right before it; with an infinitive or gerund, it can go before the first verb or attach to the end.
With an affirmative command, the pronoun always attaches to the end (¡Cómelo!); with a negative command, it goes back in front (¡No lo comas!).