⇒ A direct object pronoun (un pronombre de objeto directo) replaces a direct object, which is a noun that directly receives the action of a verb in a sentence.
⇒ Just like subject pronouns replace the subject noun in a sentence, direct object pronouns replace the direct object noun in a sentence, which can be a person, thing, noun phrase, or nominalized clause.
⇒ The table below shows the different forms direct objects can take in Spanish.
| Subject | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| First person | me (me) | nos (us) |
| Second person | te (informal you) | os (informal you) |
| Third person | lo, la (it, him, her, formal you) | los, las (them, formal you) |
⇒ A direct object pronoun can take the place of a direct object referring to a person.
⇒ In the first sentence below, the direct object is mi mamá. It can be replaced by the direct object pronoun la, as shown in the second example.
| Llamaron a mi mamá.They called my mother. |
| La llamaron.They called her. |
⇒ In the first sentence below, la pelota receives the action of tiró, and thus is the direct object of the sentence.
⇒ It is singular, feminine, and a thing, so it is in the third person. Therefore, you can replace it with the direct object pronoun la, as shown in the second example.
| Sandra tiró la pelota.Sandra threw the ball. |
| Sandra la tiró.Sandra threw it. |
⇒ In the first sentence in the pair of examples below, muchos libros receives the action of leen.
⇒ It is plural, masculine, and a plural noun phrase, so it can be replaced with the direct object pronoun los, as shown in the second example.
| Los niños leen muchos libros.The boys read lots of books. |
| Los niños los leen.The boys read them. |
⇒ Want to learn more? Check out out articles on direct object pronoun placement and using direct and indirect object pronouns together.