A2 · Pronouns
Where the pronouns go
Before the conjugated verb — or attached, but never in between.
At a glance
- Remember
- Before the conjugated verb — attached only to an infinitive, a gerund and an affirmative order.
- Form
- Te veo. / No te veo.conjugated verb
- Signal words
- no lo
- no me
- quiero ver
- estoy leyendo
- tengo que
- Trap
- Wrong:Veo te mañana en la oficina.Right:Te veo mañana en la oficina.
Your turn
5 exercises on this topic. Your answers are checked in the browser; none of them leaves your device.
Now write it yourself4 sentences on this topic, typed and checked instantly.
The form
The forms side by side
All the forms in one overview: first what each one stands for, then the form in Spanish, so you can compare them directly.
negation
| conjugated verb | Te veo. / No te veo. |
| infinitive | Quiero verte. / Te quiero ver. |
| gerund | Estoy leyéndolo. / Lo estoy leyendo. |
| imperative, affirmative | Dímelo. / Siéntate. |
| imperative, negative | No me lo digas. / No te sientes. |
| two pronouns | me lo, te la, se los |
The rules one by one
The form this topic is aboutThe word that calls for it
Before the conjugated verb, and after no as well.
No lo entiendo bien.I do not really understand it.
It attaches to an infinitive, a gerund and an affirmative imperative.
Tengo que llamarlo esta tarde.I have to ring him this afternoon.
With a negative imperative it goes back in front.
No me lo digas ahora.Do not tell me now.
Indirect pronoun before direct, always.
¿Me lo puedes explicar?Can you explain it to me?
Example sentences
Voy a comprarlo mañana.I am going to buy it tomorrow.
Estamos preparándolo todo.We are getting everything ready.
No te preocupes por eso.Do not worry about it.
Dámelo, por favor.Give it to me, please.
6 more example sentences
¿Puedes ayudarme un momento?Can you help me for a moment?
No la conozco.I do not know her.
Está buscándolas por toda la casa.He is looking for them all over the house.
Cuéntamelo otra vez.Tell me again.
Se lo voy a preguntar mañana.I am going to ask him about it tomorrow.
No os olvidéis de las llaves.Do not forget the keys.
The trap English speakers fall into
Watch out
The commonest mistake is the English order: the pronoun after the conjugated verb, as in «I see you»: Veo te. That does not exist. It goes in front of the conjugated verb, after no as well: Te veo, No te veo. It is attached only to the infinitive, the gerund and the affirmative imperative.
The full explanation
Read it all · about 1 min
The default position is *before* the conjugated verb: Te veo mañana. With a negative it stays there, straight after the no: No te veo mañana. This is the single biggest adjustment for an English speaker, because English has no position for a pronoun other than after the verb.
Three forms carry the pronoun attached and written as one word: the infinitive, the gerund and the affirmative imperative. With a conjugated verb plus an infinitive you have the choice — both are right: Voy a hacerlo or Lo voy a hacer.
When two pronouns meet, the indirect goes first: Me lo das. And when attaching shifts the stress, an accent comes with it: diciéndomelo, dímelo. The accent is not a flourish; it holds the stress in place.
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The verbs on this page, in every form: estar · tener · poder · decir · ir · explicar · entender