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4.11: Las oraciones con objeto directo e indirecto

  • Page ID
    206149
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    A sentence always has a subject and a verb (core). It may contain a complement (extra information: direct object or indirect object or both). It is not mandatory to have direct and indirect objects. In the following example, the sentence has both the direct and the indirect object. Analyze each one of the components of the sentence:

    The subject is who is doing the action.

    The indirect object tells to whom or to what or for whom or for what the action is done.

    The direct object is the person or thing that is directly affected by the action and answers the question what or whom receives the action.

    Canto una canción a ti*

    Yellow circle with the word "ojo" placed to look like eyes.

    * Never use “a yo” or “a tú” we use “a mí” or “a ti”.

    Núcleo: canto

    Sujeto: ¿Quién canta? Yo

    Complemento: Objeto Indirecto: ¿A quién canto una canción? A ti.

    Pronombre O. I. : te à se refiere a ti.

    Objeto Directo: ¿Qué canto? Una canción.

    Pronombre O. D.: la à se refiere a una canción.

    Indirect Object Pronouns Direct Object Pronouns
    me me
    te te
    le (se) lo / la
    nos nos
    os os
    les (se) los / las

    When we use both an indirect and a direct object pronoun in the same sentence, the indirect object pronoun goes first and then the direct object pronoun:

    Canto una cancióna ti àTe la canto.

    Leo un libroa vosotrosàOslo leo.

    Although the real-life application of this concept occurs via answers to questions, practice the concept by rewriting the sentences using the direct and indirect object pronouns. We intentionally left out the indirect and direct object pronouns although typically you would see the indirect object pronouns in the sentence along with the indirect object that is noted for emphasis or clarity. In class, we will practice with questions.

    escribir.png
    1. Juan escribe una carta a mí. ____________________________________
    2. Rosario compra un regalo a ti. ____________________________________
    3. La profesora enseña el objeto directo a Rosa.__________________________
    4. Ellos ayudan a estudiar el vocabulario a nosotros. _______________________
    5. Yo vendo mi coche a vosotros. ___________________________________
    6. Eduardo compra el café a ustedes. ________________________________

    Let’s analyze your answers for sentences 3 and 6:

    3. La profesora enseña los pronombres a Rosa.

    Núcleo: enseña

    Sujeto: ¿Quién enseña? La profesora

    Complemento:

    Objeto Indirecto: ¿A quién enseña? A Rosa

    Pronombre O. I. : le

    Objeto Directo: ¿Qué enseña? los pronombres

    Pronombre O.D. : los

    La profesora le los* enseña (That does not sound right—keep reading to find out why.)

    6. Eduardo compra el café a ellas.

    Núcleo: compra

    Sujeto: ¿Quién compra? Eduardo

    Complemento:

    Objeto Indirecto: ¿A quién compra? A ellas

    Pronombre O. I. : les

    Objeto Directo: ¿Qué compra? el café

    Pronombre O.D. : lo

    Eduardo les lo* compra (That does not sound right either.—Keep reading to find out why.)

    *The word “lelo” in Spanish means stunned, slow, or loony! We don’t want to call any one “lelo!”

    Yellow circle with the word "ojo" placed to look like eyes.

    To avoid this problem when you use both the indirect and direct object pronouns with the 3rd person (singular o plural), the indirect object pronoun “le” and “les” becomes “se”.

    La profesora se los enseña. Eduardo se lo compra.

    ¡ Nunca use LELO o LELOS o LELA o LELAS ! Always use “se” when you have an indirect object pronoun (le or les) and direct object pronoun (lo,los,la or las) in the same sentence. ¡ No queremos tener lelos! J

    Don’t forget that the direct and the indirect object pronouns either precede a conjugated verb or are attached to a verbal (verboide–infinitivo o gerundio).

    La profesora se los enseña. Eduardo se las compra.

    La profesora se los va a enseñar. Eduardo se las va a comprar.

    La profesora va a enseñár se los. Eduardo va a comprár se las.

    When we use the indirect and direct object pronouns before the conjugated verb we have two words. When we use them attached to the infinitive, it is only one word. When we attach the indirect and direct object pronouns to the infinitive an orthographic stress is required on the syllable before the combined direct and indirect object pronouns:

    Enseñárselo, comprárselo, regalárselo, preparárselo…

    watch-1.png

    Practiquemos los pronombres de objeto indirecto y directo en el video 1.4.10. After this video you will be ready to do your homework.

    Thumbnail for the embedded element "Double Object Pronouns in Spanish (intermediate)"

    A YouTube element has been excluded from this version of the text. You can view it online here: https://pb.libretexts.org/spanish1/?p=200

    TAREA

    Write a dialogue between you and your best friend in Spanish about what school and home by including questions and answers with the goal of using the indirect and direct object pronouns, but also to apply all your Spanish knowledge. Use the different verbs that take a direct or indirect object, practice the structures, use your vocabulary and review your question words. The dialogue needs to have 20 questions with answers. You need to print your dialogue double spaced.


    This page titled 4.11: Las oraciones con objeto directo e indirecto is shared under a CC BY-NC 4.0 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Elizabeth Silvaggio-Adams and Ma. Del Rocío Vallejo-Alegre (Milne Publishing) via source content that was edited to the style and standards of the LibreTexts platform.