lo/la/los/las
Direct Object Pronouns
Replace a third-person direct object with lo, la, los or las: Tengo el libro → Lo tengo.
• lo: masculine singular noun referent
• la: feminine singular noun referent
• los: masculine plural noun referent
• las: feminine plural noun referent
How It Works
A direct object is a grammatical role within a verb’s construction. It need not undergo an action: el libro is the direct object in Tengo el libro. To refer back to it without repeating the noun, say Lo tengo.
The third-person direct-object forms taught here are:
- lo: replaces a masculine singular noun (e.g., el libro → lo)
- la: replaces a feminine singular noun (e.g., la mesa → la)
- los: replaces a masculine plural noun (e.g., los libros → los)
- las: replaces a feminine plural noun (e.g., las mesas → las)
Placement Rule:
The most common placement for these pronouns is directly before a conjugated verb.
Example:
• ¿Ves el coche? (Do you see the car?)
• Sí, lo veo. (Yes, I see it.)
Here, lo replaces el coche and is placed before the verb veo.
Specific human direct objects commonly take the personal 'a' before the noun. Its use also depends on the verb and construction; animal references vary. The presence of a alone does not make the object indirect.
Example:
• Veo a María. (I see María.)
• La veo. (I see her.)
While the main rule is to place the pronoun before the conjugated verb, there are other possibilities, such as attaching it to an infinitive or a gerund. These are covered in other grammar patterns like pronouns with infinitives.
People, Things, And A Whole Idea
Lo can refer to a masculine noun or, as a neuter form, to a whole situation: No lo sabía means I did not know that. First- and second-person objects use other forms, including me, te, nos and os.
Accepted Regional Forms
Lo vi is a widely shared form for a male direct object. Le vi with a masculine human referent is also accepted in the current DPD; its description also admits masculine human plural les, although that use is less common. Do not label Vi a tu hermano. Le vi en la tienda as an error. This does not license le for every inanimate direct object.
Position And Gender
Use lo veo before an ordinary finite indicative verb, but véalo with an affirmative usted command. Infinitives and gerunds also allow attached pronouns in the appropriate construction. Select gender from the noun or referent, not mechanically from the article: el agua is feminine and is replaced by la.
Examples (5)
- Tengo el libro. Lo leo todos los días.
I have the book. I read it every day.
Word by Word: I have the book. It I read all the days.
loreplacesel libro(masculine, singular). - ¿Compraste la falda? —Sí, la compré ayer.
Did you buy the skirt? —Yes, I bought it yesterday.
Word by Word: You bought the skirt? —Yes, it I bought yesterday.
lareplacesla falda(feminine, singular). - Necesito mis zapatos. ¿Dónde los pusiste?
I need my shoes. Where did you put them?
Word by Word: I need my shoes. Where them you put?
losreplacesmis zapatos(masculine, plural). - Veo a mis amigas. Las veo en el parque.
I see my friends. I see them in the park.
Word by Word: I see to my friends. Them I see in the park.
lasreplacesmis amigas(feminine, plural). - ¿Conoces a Carlos? —Sí, lo conozco de la escuela.
Do you know Carlos? —Yes, I know him from school.
Word by Word: You know to Carlos? —Yes, him I know from the school.
loreplacesa Carlos(masculine, singular person).
Common Mistakes
Using the wrong gender or number for the pronoun.
Tengo la pluma. Lo uso para escribir.Tengo la pluma. La uso para escribir.The pronoun must match the gender and number of the noun it replaces.
La plumais feminine, so you must usela.Placing the pronoun after the conjugated verb.
El café, bebo lo por la mañana.El café, lo bebo por la mañana.In this present-indicative clause, put lo before bebo. Affirmative commands such as bébalo instead attach the pronoun to the verb, so the restriction is not about all conjugated forms.
How It Connects
Related Patterns
- le/lesIndirect Object Pronouns
Compare grammatical roles in a particular construction: in Le doy el libro, le identifies the recipient and el libro is the direct object. Indirect objects have other uses too, so receiving a physical thing is an example rather than their complete definition.
Level 2 - Object Pronoun Position
This pattern explains the general rule for where to place object pronouns (like
Level 2lo,la,los,las) in a sentence, which is typically before the main verb. - Pronouns with Infinitives
This shows an alternative placement rule. When you have a verb structure like
Level 2voy a comprar el libro, the pronoun can be attached to the end of the infinitive:voy a comprarlo. - aPersonal a
In Veo a Juan, Juan is a direct object despite a. Personal a depends on the verb, reference and construction; it is not a reliable test for an indirect object.
Level 2 - se lo/se la/se los/se lasDouble Object Pronouns
This is the next step, showing what happens when you use both a direct and an indirect object pronoun together. For example,
Level 2le lobecomesse lo. - el/la/los/lasDefinite Articles
The noun’s grammatical gender helps choose lo or la. Do not rely on the article alone: el agua is feminine, so Vi el agua. La vi is the appropriate gender agreement.
Foundations
Learn Next
Patterns that build on this one.
Words in This Pattern
Practice lo/la/los/las in Bubblegum
Poppy, your AI tutor, writes Spanish lessons at your level. Tap any grammar point in a lesson to see its full explanation.
