el, la, els, les

Direct Object Pronouns El, La, Els, Les

Level 2

El, la, els and les replace definite direct objects and agree with them.

How It Works

A definite object is identified in context: compro el llibre becomes el compro. Use la for a feminine singular object, els for masculine plural and les for feminine plural. The pronoun follows the grammatical gender of the object, even when English calls it it.

Before a finite verb, put the pronoun before the verb: les obro. Before many vowel-initial forms, singular el/la becomes l', with feminine unstressed i/u exceptions. After an infinitive, the pronoun attaches: comprar-lo, veure-la.

Do not confuse plural direct-object els with indirect-object els. Els veig means I see them; els escric means I write to them. The verb's construction reveals the role. For a whole idea or això, use ho rather than automatically choosing el.

Examples (3)

  1. El llibre? El compro demà.

    The book? I am buying it tomorrow.

  2. Les finestres? Les obro ara.

    The windows? I am opening them now.

  3. La Marta? La conec bé.

    Marta? I know her well.

How It Connects

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el, la, els, lesLevel 2Direct Object Pronouns El, La, Els, Les

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Choose gender and number for a definite noun object. Identify the direct object to replace.

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