Direct Objects

PA LEARNERS Online
Regional Cyber Charter School
475 East Waterfront Drive
Homestead, PA 15120

Phone: 412-394-5733
Fax: 412-394-4604
Email: patricia.carl@aiu3.net

Key vocabulary
	lo	him, it (masculine, singular)	la	her, it (feminine, singular)
	los	them (masculine, plural)	las	them (feminine, plural)

	Direct objects
		person or thing that receives the direct action of the verb
		noun or pronoun (person, place, or thing).
		answers the question who? or what?

	Direct object pronouns
		replace the direct object noun to avoid repeating nouns that have already been mentioned
		in English
		1. me, you, him, her, and it 2. direct object nouns and pronouns follow the verb
		not every sentence has a direct object
		to find direct object noun
		1. find the verb (the action of the sentence) 2. ask "whom or what is being verb-ed" 3. direct object noun follows verb
		to replace direct object noun with a direct object pronoun
		1. must agree with the noun (follows verb) it replaces 2. select correct pronoun based on number and gender 3. place direct object pronoun before conjugated verb (or attach to infinitive) 4. note: word order changes in Spanish → subject + verb + direct object but subject + direct object pronoun* + verb*
		no neutral pronoun for it, all nouns have gender, i.e. masculine or feminine
		Spanish definite object pronouns lo, la, los, and las
		1. l0 (masculine, singular) means him when it refers to a male person 2. l0 (masculine, singular) means it when it replaces a maculine singular noun (object) 3. la (feminine, singular) means him when it refers to a female person 4. la (feminine, singular) means it when it replaces a feminine noun (object) 5. los (masculine, plural) means them when it refers to more than one male person or a mixed group of female and male 6. los (masculine, plural) means them when it replaces a masculine plural noun (objects) 7. las (feminine, plural) means them when it refers to more than one female person 8. las (feminine, plural) means them when it replaces a feminine, plural noun (objects)


steps to apply direct object pronoun using the sentence Maya invita a Sergio.
	1. Maya invita a Sergio. 2. Maya invita a Sergio. 3. Sergio = lo 4. Maya lo invita.	1. Maya is inviting Sergio. 2. Maya is inviting Sergio. 3. Sergio = him 4. Maya invites him.	1. find the verb (action) 2. find the direct object → Maya invites who? or what? → Sergio 3. determine the correct direct object pronoun to replace Sergio → Sergio is a male person therefore lo, the masculine singular direct object pronoun is required 4. place direct object pronoun before the noun (notice that while the English direct object pronoun remains in the same place in the sentence, the Spanish indirect object pronoun precedes the verb.)

Veo a Andrés en la cocina.		Lo veo en la cocina.		1. Ask: I see who? or what? → Andrés 2. Andrés → masculine singular noun 3. replace with lo → masculine singular direct object pronoun 4. place in front of the verb
	I see Andrés in the kitchen.		I see him in the kitchen.

Veo a Gloria en la cocina.		La veo en la cocina.		1. Ask: I see who? or what? → Gloria 2. Gloria → feminine singular noun 3. replace with la → masculine singular direct object pronoun 4. place in front of the verb
	I see Gloria in the kitchen.		I see her in the kitchen.

Veo a Andrés y Carlos en la cocina.		Los veo en la cocina.		1. Ask: I see who? or what? → Andrés y Gloria 2. Andrés y Carlos → masculine plural (2 males) 3. replace with los → masculine singular direct object pronoun 4. place in front of the verb
	I see Andrés and Carlos in the kitchen.		I see them in the kitchen.

Veo a Andrés y Gloria en la cocina.		Los veo en la cocina.		1. Ask: I see who? or what? → Andrés y Gloria 2. Andrés y Gloria → masculine plural (1 female and 1 male) 3. replace with los → masculine singular direct object pronoun 4. place in front of the verb
	I see Andrés and Gloria in the kitchen.		I see them in the kitchen.

Veo a Gloria y Ana en la cocina.		Las veo en la cocina.		1. Ask: I see who? or what? → Gloria y Ana 2. Gloria y Ana → feminine, plural (2 females) 3. replace with las → feminine plural direct object pronoun 4. place in front of the verb
	I see Gloria and Ana in the kitchen.		I see them in the kitchen.

Siempre comemos el postre.		Siempre lo comemos.		1. Ask: we eat who? or what? → el postre 2. el postre → masculine, singular noun 3. replace with la → feminine singular direct object pronoun 4. place in front of the verb
	We always eat dessert.		We always eat it.

Siempre comemos la torta.		Siempre la comemos.		1. Ask: we eat who? or what? → la torta 2. la torta → feminine singular noun 3. replace with la → feminine singular direct object pronoun 4. place in front of the verb
	She wants to taste the cake.		She wants to taste it.

Mi madre prepara los sándwiches.		Mi madres los prepara.		1. Ask: my mother prepares who? or what? → los sándwiches 2. los sándwiches → masculine plural noun 3. replace with los → masculine plural direct object pronoun 4. place in front of the verb
	My mother fixes the sandwiches.		My mother prepares them.

Mi madre prepara las cenas.		Mi madres las prepara.		1. Ask: my mother prepares who? or what? → las cenas 2. las cenas → feminine, plural noun 3. replace with las → feminine, plural direct object pronoun 4. place in front of the verb
	My mother makes the sandwiches.		My mother makes them.

"Language is at the core of human existence. Through language we express the hopes and dreams we hold for our families, our state and our nation. The ability to communicate in a second language enables us to know the hopes, dreams and visions of others around the world."