Indirect object pronouns in Spanish can be objects or people, although the most common situation is that the indirect object is a person, instead of a thing.
The indirect object pronoun answers the question To whom? or For whom? the action of the verb is performed.
I threw you the ball.
What did I throw? The ball. Therefore, ball is the direct object.
To whom did I throw the ball? To you. Therefore, you is the indirect object.
Yo te tiré la pelota.
I threw you the ball.
Indirect Object Pronouns in Spanish
Take a look at the chart below, which shows the indirect object pronouns in Spanish.
| Subject Pronouns | Indirect Object Pronouns |
| yo | |
| tú | |
| él, ella, usted | |
| nosotros, nosotras | |
| vosotros, vosotras | |
| ellos, ellas, ustedes |
Indirect object pronouns in Spanish are placed before the verb. Remember that even if pronouns normally replace nouns, many times Spanish speakers use both the noun and the pronoun together. This can be either to make the sentence clearer or to emphasize its meaning. Consequently, both the pronoun before the verb and the indirect object after it introduced by
Mis amigos vienen esta noche y ellos me van a hacer a mí la cena.
My friends are coming tonight and they are going to make dinner for me.
Ella no te prepara la comida a ti porque eres cocinero.
She doesn’t make lunch for you because you are a cook.
Mi vecina le da las llaves de la casa a su hermano cuando se va de viaje.
My neighbor gives the house keys to her brother when she goes on a trip.
Nuestros padres nos dicen la verdad a nosotros porque ya somos mayores.
Our parents tell us the truth because we are already old.
En verano, nosotros os vamos a enviar a vosotras una postal desde Grecia.
In summer, we are going to send you a postcard from Greece.
Nosotros les preguntamos a nuestros amigos sobre sus trabajos.
We ask our friends about their jobs.
As you can see, indirect object appear twice in each sentence and it refers to the same person.
Negative Sentences
In negative sentences, indirect object pronouns in Spanish are placed between the
Mis abuelos no me envían un regalo por Navidad.
My grandparents don’t send me a gift for Christmas.
A Sofía no le escribo cartas. Prefiero hablar con ella cuando la veo.
I don’t write letters to Sofía. I prefer to talk with her when I see her.
Yo no os voy a preparar un bizcocho porque no sois mis nietos.
I am not going to prepare you a cake because you are not my grandchildren.
Tú no les haces favores a tus compañeros de trabajo. Tienes demasiado trabajo.
You do not do favors to your colleagues. You have too much work.
Interrogative Sentences
In a question, indirect object pronouns in Spanish are placed before the verb but after the question word. Look at these examples.
¿Dónde te compran tus padres esos regalos?
Where do your parents buy you those presents?
¿Cuando le vas a envíar la carta a tu prima María?
When are you going to send the letter to your cousin María?
¿Cuándo nos vas a decir la dirección del hotel?
When are you going to tell us the hotel’s address?
¿Cuándo les hacemos una fiesta a tus padres? ¿Esta noche?
When do we throw a party for your parents? Tonight?
Exercises
Here are some exercises to practice indirect object pronouns in Spanish.