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Indirect Object Pronouns: Me interesa el deporte ... (00)

Me interesa el deporte. means I am interested in sport.

Me interesa el deporte.

Indirect object tells us to whom the action represented by the verb is occurring. If the indirect object is me, the action described by the verb is occuring to me.

Indirect object can be a thing or a person.

If we replace the person or the thing by a pronoun, we use an indirect object pronoun.

Indirect object pronouns

meme
teyou (informal)
lehim
her
you (formal)
nosus
osyou (all - informal, in Spain only)
lesthem
you (all - formal)

We place the indirect object pronoun before the conjugated verb.

Javier me presta su carro. = Javier lends me his car. (The action of lending is happening to ME).

Javier me presta su carro.
Javier me presta su carro.Javier lends me his car.
Javier te presta su carro.Javier lends you his car.
Javier le presta su carro.Javier lends him
her
you (formal) his car.
Javier nos presta su carro.Javier lends us his car.
Javier os presta su carro.Javier lends you (all - informal, in Spain only) his car.
Javier les presta su carro.Javier lends them
you (all - formal) his car.
(Yo) te envío una carta. = I am sending you a letter. (the action is ocurring to YOU = TE)
Yo te envío una carta.
El profesor les explica la gramática. = The teacher explains them the grammar. (the action is ocurring to them = LES)
El profesor les explica la gramática.
(Ella) nos abre la puerta. = She opens the door for us. (the action is happening to US = NOS)
Ella nos abre la puerta.
Él le canta una canción bonita. = He sings a nice song to her. (the action is happening to HER = LE)
Él le canta una canción bonita.
Tomás te compra flores. = Tomás buys you flowers. (the action is happening to YOU = TE)
Tomás te compra flores.
Ella les vende entradas. = She sells them tickets. (the action is happening to THEM = LES)
Ella les vende entradas.

Indirect objects LE, LES stand for different things.

leto him, to her, to you
lesto them, to you all (formal)

This ambiguity can be clarified by adding a prepositional phrase.

Examples of prepositional phrases clarifying LE, LES: A + the person

lea élto him
lea ellato her
lea Julio to Julio
lea ustedto you (formal)
leal señor Pérezto Mr.Perez
lesa ellosto them (males)
lesa ellasto them (females)
lesa ustedesto you all (formal)
lesa los niñosto the children

Adding a prepositional phrase specifies to whom the action is occurring.

Javier le presta su carro a Fernando. Javier lends his car to Fernando.
Javier le presta su carro a su amigo. Javier lends his car to his friend.
Javier les presta su carro a Emilio y Gabriel.Javier lends his car to Emilio and Gabriel.
Javier les presta su carro a sus hermanos.Javier lends his car to his siblings.

Paloma le hace la maleta a su esposo. = Paloma packs the suitcase for her husband.(LE - we specify it by adding A SU ESPOSO)

Paloma le hace la maleta a su esposo.

Magaly le organiza la fiesta de cumpleaños a su hija. = Magaly organizes a birthday party for her daughter. (LE - we specify it by adding A SU HIJA)

Magaly le organiza la fiesta de cumpleaños a su hija.

Yo le ayudo a usted. = I am going to help you. (LE - we specify it by adding A USTED)

Yo le ayudo a usted.

It is very common to add a prepositional phrase to emphasize even when it is clear to whom the action is occurring.

David me cuenta un chiste a mí. = David is telling me a joke.(A MÍ = an emphasis)

David me cuenta un chiste a mí.

Te doy el libro a tí. = I give you the book. (A TI = an emphasis)

Yo te doy el libro a tí.

Marcos nos acompaña a nosotros. = Marcos accompanies us. (A NOSOTROS = an emphasis)

Marcos nos acompaña a nosotros.

Enrique te regala un cachorro a ti. = Enrique gives you a puppy.(A TI = an emphasis)

Enrique te te regala un cachorro a ti.

We form a negative sentence with indirect object by placing NO before the indirect object.

Yo no te vendo mi bicicleta a ti.I am not selling you my bike.
Nosotros no les enseñamos las fotos a ellos. We don´t show them the photos.
Ellos no nos traen la comida a nosotros.They don´t bring us the food.

Summary

  • Indirect object tells us to whom things occur.
  • We can replace the name of the indirect object with a pronoun.
  • Indirect object pronouns are always before the verb.
  • Prepositional phrases specify the indirect objects LE, LES.
  • It is common to use prepositional phrases for emphasis.
Gender of Nouns: El aeropuerto, la playa
Plural Nouns: Los restaurantes, las ventanas
Indefinite Article: Un jardín, una playa
Adjectives: Interesante, guapa, barato, ...
Plural Form of Adjectives: Buenos, bonitas, importantes
Verb Ser: Yo soy Pablo...
Verb Estar: Yo estoy en la playa ...
Comparison Ser vs Estar
Verb Hay: Hay olas grandes hoy...
Interrogative Words: ¿Cómo?, ¿Qué?,...
Prepositions: En, de, con
Telling Time
Verbs in Spanish
Verbs -AR
Verbs -ER
Verbs -IR
Irregular Verbs
Irregular AR Verbs
Irregular ER Verbs
Irregular IR Verbs
Verb Ir
Verb Ir And the Future
Idioms With TENER
Verb Tener Que
Indirect Object Pronouns: Me interesa el deporte ...
Verb Gustar: Me gusta la música ...
Verbs Similar To Gustar: Me duele la cabeza...
Direct Object Pronouns
Direct Object
Possessive Adjectives
Reflexive Verbs: Me ducho...
Demonstrative Adjectives: Este hotel es muy bueno ...
Expressions of Quantity
Adjectives Preceding Nouns
Indefinite Adjectives: Algún día voy a ser millonario ...
Comparing amounts and activities: No conozco tantos museos como tú ...
Comparisons of Equality: El pastel de fruta es tan sabroso como el pastel de chocolate ...
Comparisons of Inequality: Esta playa es más tranquila que la otra ...
Superlatives: Mayo es el mes más bonito ...
Adverbs of Time: Manana vamos de vacaciones ...
Adverbs: Este pastel tienes que hornear lentamente ...
Adverbs of Manner: Los niños aprenden fácilmente ...
Adverbs of Place: Me gusta estar aquí ...
Prepositions: Vamos al cine con mis amigos para pasar la tarde ...
Prepositions Followed by Verbs: Estamos por ir de vacaciones ...
Compound Prepositions: El hotel está junto a la playa...
Prepositions DE and DESDE: Sonia se asolea desde la mañana hasta la tarde...
Prepositions PARA and POR: Tim viaja por México para aprender el español ...
Imperative: Por favor, reserva la habitación mañana ...
Negative Imperative: No comas tanto dulce ...
Gerund: ¿Dónde estás? Llevo esperando una hora...
Present Progressive: Estamos cenando con nuestros amigos ...
Conjunctions: Vamos al cine o vemos una película en casa? ...
Preterite: Regular Verbs: La semana pasada empezamos estudiar español ...
Preterite: Irregular Verbs: El verano pasado estuvimos en Cuba ...
Imperfect Tense: Jugabamos al ajedrez mucho con mi hermano ...
Future Simple: Pasaré el verano al lado del mar ...
The Perfect Tense: Sonia ha viajado a muchos países ...
The Conditional: ¿Le gustaría pastel de queso ... ?
Future Simple: Pasaré el verano al lado del mar ...
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