Master the Difference between Lo and Le

Spanish pronouns can cause confusion to some learners. You will learn the difference between lo and le, or the difference between las and les in this article.

What is a Pronoun?

A pronoun is a word that takes the place of a noun. For example, in the sentence Laura reads it, the pronoun it is replacing a noun that was said before or that is understood from the context. The pronoun it is replacing a noun phrase that can be a document, a letter, a book, a magazine, a newspaper…  

There are many types of pronouns. In this article we are going to focus on some direct and indirect object pronouns in Spanish. 

What is a Direct Object Pronoun?

The direct object is the part of the sentence that receives the action of the verb. For example, in the sentence Laura writes a letter, the words a letter is the direct object. In order to identify it, you can ask the questions what or whom to the verb. Let’s see some examples of direct objects.

So the direct object pronoun is the word that replaces the direct object, the receiver of the action. Have a look at how those sentences changed using pronouns.

Direct Object Pronouns in Spanish

In this article, we will see in detail the Spanish direct pronouns lo, la, los and las. Let’s see some sentences with these words.

As you can see, the direct object pronoun when referring to him, her, it or them agrees in gender and number with the noun it is replacing. Bearing this in mind will help you later see the difference between lo and le.

The direct object pronouns lo, la, los and las can refer both people and objects or things.

When introducing a direct object phrase referring to a person, you should use the preposition a.

Finally, the direct object pronouns lo, la, los and las can also refer to the formal you. Remember that in Spanish, the formal you is usted and ustedes, and it always takes the third person forms of pronouns or verbs.

What is an Indirect Object Pronoun?

The indirect object is the part of the sentence that indicates to whom or for whom something is done. For example, in the sentence Laura writes a letter to her parents, the words to her parents is the indirect object. In order to identify it, you can ask the questions to whom or for whom to the verb. Let’s see some examples of indirect objects.

So the indirect object pronoun is the word that replaces the indirect object, to whom or for whom something is done.

Indirect Object Pronouns in Spanish

In this article, we will focus on the difference between lo and le, so we will pay special attention to the Spanish indirect pronouns le and les. Let’s have a look at some sentences with these words.

As you can see, the indirect object pronoun refers to him, her, it or them. This pronoun agrees in number with the noun it is replacing. 

The indirect object pronouns le and les can refer both to people and objects or things. It is always introduced with the preposition a.

It is very common to use both the indirect object pronoun and the indirect object phrase together in the same sentence. In the following sentences, the words a su madre is the indirect object. In Spanish, you can use the pronoun le even though the indirect object phrase is said in the sentence.

Finally, the indirect object pronouns le and les can also refer to the formal you. Remember that in Spanish, the formal you is usted and ustedes, and it always takes the third person forms of pronouns or verbs.

Summary – The Difference between Lo and Le

Some people tend to make mistakes using the pronouns lo, la, los, las, le and les. Of course, there are more direct and indirect object pronouns (me, te, nos, os) but they are not as difficult to use since they are the same word for both direct and indirect pronouns.

Here are the main points you need to remember to finally learn the difference between lo and le.

1. Lo is the direct object pronoun that refers to a masculine singular noun.

2. Le is the indirect object pronoun that refers to a singular noun. 

3. The direct object pronoun (lo, la, los, las) agrees in gender and number with the noun it is replacing. 

4. The indirect object pronoun (le, les) agrees in number with the noun it is replacing. 

5. As an exception, it is possible to use le or les as direct object pronouns only when referring to male people. 

Exercises

Let’s practice the difference between lo and le with these exercises. You can also find extra practice on this topic here.