Personal Pronouns in Spanish Grammar
What are personal pronouns in Spanish?
Personal pronouns (los pronombres personales) are small words such as yo, me, mí, tú, te, tí, lo, …
They refer to people, things and concepts and can be used in place of a noun to avoid repetition.
There are three types of personal pronouns in Spanish: subject pronouns, object pronouns (direct and indirect) and prepositional pronouns.
Read on to learn about each type of personal pronoun in detail, then practise in the interactive exercises.
Contents
Example
Carlos es el mejor compañero de piso. Él dice que exagero, pero yo sé que es verdad.
Trabaja desde casa y me prepara la comida todos los días. A mí me encanta cómo cocina: usa cantidad de especias e ingredientes originales. Por las noches, cuando vuelvo del gimnasio, le cocino yo y luego nos quedamos charlando en el salón.
Nos gustan mucho las plantas y tenemos una gran colección. Las regamos una semana cada uno e incluso les ponemos nombre.
Spanish personal pronouns
Spanish personal pronouns stand in for nouns and represent people, places, things and concepts.
These pronouns correspond to the noun they refer to in grammatical number (singular/plural) and, in the 3rd person, gender (masculine/feminine).
There are three types of pronouns in Spanish: subject pronouns, object pronouns (direct and indirect) and prepositional pronouns.
- Examples:
- Él dice que exagero, pero yo sé que es verdad. He says I’m exaggerating, but I know it’s true. (subject pronoun)
- Las regamos una semana cada uno … We take turns watering them each week. (direct object pronoun)
- … e Incluso les ponemos nombres. And we even give them names. (indirect object pronoun)
- A mí me encanta cómo cocina. I love his cooking. (prepositional pronoun)
Complete table of Spanish personal pronouns
The table below lists all Spanish personal pronouns:
| Person | Subject | Direct Object | Indirect Object | Prepositional | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Singular | 1st person | yo | me | mí | |
| 2nd person | tú vos* |
te | ti | ||
| 3rd person | usted | lo/la | le, se | usted | |
| él, ella | lo, la | él, ella | |||
| Plural | 1st person | nosotros, -as | nos | nosotros, -as | |
| 2nd person | vosotros, -as | os | vosotros, -as | ||
| 3rd person | ustedes | los/las | les, se | ustedes | |
| ellos, -as | los, las | ellos, -as | |||
Polite forms in Spanish
The pronouns for the polite form in Spanish are usted and ustedes.
This translates to you, but refers to the person or people being addressed in a polite, respectful manner. This form is common in formal or professional contexts.
- Examples:
- ¿Usted es el titular del contrato de luz? Are you the holder of the electricity contract?
- usted + verb in the singular
- ¿Ustedes dos son los inquilinos? Are you two the tenants?
- ustedes + verb in the plural
vos
The pronoun vos is used instead of tú or usted in many Latin American countries. This phenomenon is known as voseo.
- Example:
- tú cantas → vos cantás
Different regions have different conjugations for the vos form. We have an extra page where you can learn more about voseo.
Subject Pronouns in Spanish
Subject pronouns (los pronombres personales de sujeto) represent the person or thing that performs the verb.
Remember, Spanish usually omits subject pronouns because this information is shown in the verb ending.
- Example:
(Yo)Tengo un compañero de piso.I have a flatmate.
There are only a few cases where use subject pronouns in Spanish:
- for emphasis
- Example:
- Él, no. Él es mi compañero de piso.Him, no. He’s my flatmate.
- to indicate a change of grammatical subject
- Example:
- Nunca he estado en el Caribe. ¿Vosotros habéis viajado por ahí? I’ve never been to the Caribbean. Have you been there?
- swtich from yo to vosotros
- to avoid ambiguity; i.e. when it is not possible to determine the subject from the verb ending
- Example:
- Estos son Claudia y Carlos. Ella es una compañera del trabajo y él es mi compañero de piso. This is Claudia and Carlos. She’s a collague and he’s my flatmate.
- without the subject pronouns, it would be unclear who is the colleague and who is the flatmate as the verb conjugation is identical
- as an answer to the question ¿quién?
- Example:
- —¿Quién hace la cena esta noche? Who’s making dinner tonight?
- —Yo. —Me.
- in comparative sentences with que
- Example:
- Carlos es más ordenado que yo. Carlos is tidier than me.
- in phrases with mismo, también and tampoco
- Examples:
- Yo misma haré la compra esta tarde. I’ll do the shopping myself this afternoon.
- Él también trabaja desde casa. He also works from home.
Overview of Spanish Subject Pronouns
The table below lists all Spanish subject pronouns:
| Subject Pronoun | Example | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Singular | 1st person | yo | Yo no tengo ni idea.I have no idea. |
| 2nd person | tú vos |
¿Y tú qué necesitas?And what do you need? Vos tenés razón.You are right. |
|
| 3rd person | él, ella, usted |
Ella es la jefa.She’s the boss. ¿Usted necesita algo más?Do you need anything else? |
|
| Plural | 1st person | nosotros, -as | Nosotras nos marchamos ya.We are leaving. |
| 2nd person | vosotros, -as |
¿Vosotros sois de aquí?Are you from here? | |
| 3rd person | ellos, -as ustedes |
Ellos no tienen las llaves.They don’t have the keys. |
|
Object pronouns in Spanish grammar
Object pronouns replace the object of the sentence; this is the thing or person that is acted upon by the verb.
Just like in English, objects in Spanish can be direct or indirect:
- English:
- The teacher explained the lesson to the students.
- Spanish:
- El profesor explicó la lección a los alumnos.
- direct object: the lesson/la lección; indirect object: the students/los alumnos
This is what the sentence looks like when we replace the nouns with the corresponding object pronouns:
- The teacher explained it to the students.
- → El profesor la explicó a los alumnos. (direct object pronoun)
- The teacher explained the lesson to them.
- → El profesor les explicó la lección. (indirect object pronoun)
Keep reading to learn more about Spanish direct and indirect object pronouns in more detail.
Direct object pronouns in Spanish grammar
The direct object is the person or thing affected by the verb.
- Example:
- El profesor explicó la lección. → El profesor la explicó.The teacher explained the lesson. → The teacher explained it.
- the lesson is being explained = direct object
The table below shows all Spanish direct object pronouns:
| Direct Object Pronoun | Example | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Singular | 1st person | me | ¿Me llamas luego? Will you call me later? |
| 2nd person | te | Te echo de menos. I miss you. | |
| 3rd person | lo la |
¿Lo has visto? Did you see it? La venderé a finales del año. I’ll sell it at the end of the year. |
|
| Plural | 1st person | nos | Nos quieren mucho. They love us very much. |
| 2nd person | os | Os colocan por grupos. You will be placed into groups. | |
| 3rd person | los las |
*Los he invitado a todos. I’ve invited them all. Las renovarán este verano. They will renovate them this year. |
|
*Note: When the direct object is two or more people or things that are masculine and feminine, we use the masculine form los in the 3rd person plural.
- Example:
- ¿Paula y Marcos? Sí, los conozco desde hace años. Paula and Marcos? Yes, I’ve known them for years.
- feminine + masculine direct object → masculine pronoun los
Info
The direct object pronoun for the 3rd person masculine singular is lo. However, some regions of Spain use le, although this is less typical in Latin America.
- Example:
- A Javi no lo he invitado a la fiesta. = A Javi no le he invitado a la fiesta. I haven’t invited Javi to the party.
How to identify the direct object in Spanish grammar
In Spanish, the direct object:
- accompanies a transitive verb
- Example:
- Como una manzana. → La como. I’m eating an apple. → I’m eating it.
- usually refers to objects and is not usually introduced by a preposition; however, if the direct object is a person or animal introduced by a transitive verb, it follows the preposition a
- Examples:
- He invitado mis padres a cenar. → Los he invitado a cenar. I’ve invited my parents for dinner. → I’ve invited them for dinner.
- No encuentro a mi gato. → No lo encuentro. I can’t find my cat. → I can’t find him.
- follows certain verbs: echar de menosto miss (someone), esperarto wait (for someone), invitarto invite (someone), llamarto call (someone), quererto love (someone), etc.
- Examples:
- Echo mucho de menos a Marta. → La echo mucho de menos. I really miss Marta. → I really miss her.
- ¿Invitamos a Pablo también? → Lo invitamos también? Shall we invite Pablo as well? → Shall we invite him as well?
- is the subject of a passive sentence
- Example:
- Me como la manzana. I’m eating the apple.
- active sentence
- La manzana es comido por mí. The apple is being eaten by me.
- passive sentence
Indirect object pronouns in Spanish grammar
The indirect object is the recipient of the action of the verb. The indirect object is almost always a person and introduced by the preposition a.
- Examples:
- A Carlos le han ofrecido un aumento. They’ve offered Carlos a pay rise.
- direct object = pay rise; indirect object = Carlos
- El profesor explicó la lección a los alumnos.→ El profesor les explicó la lección.The teacher explained the lesson to the students. → The teacher explained the lesson to them.
- direct object = the lesson; indirect object = the students
Occasionally, the indirect object may also be a thing.
- Example:
- Carlos siempre le pone mucho queso a la pasta. Carlos always puts lots of cheese on the pasta.
- direct object = cheese; indirect object = the pasta
Table of indirect object pronouns in Spanish
The table below shows the Spanish indirect object pronouns.
Tip
The indirect object pronouns are identical to the direct object pronouns except for in the 3rd person singular and plural.
| Indirect Object Pronoun | Example | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Singular | 1st person | me | Me han dado la beca. I have been awarded the scholarship. |
| 2nd person | te | Te voy a contar algo. I’m going to tell you something. | |
| 3rd person | le se* |
Dile que no. Tell him no. Se lo tienes que repetir. You have to tell him that again. |
|
| Plural | 1st person | nos | Nos dieron botellas de agua. They gave us bottles of water. |
| 2nd person | os | Os recomiendo visitar Asturias. I recommend that you visit Asturias. | |
| 3rd person | les se* |
Les he traído un regalo. I’ve brought them a present. Ya se lo he dado. I’ve already given it to them. |
|
*When a sentence includes both a direct and an indirect object pronoun, the latter becomes se to avoid alliteration. See below for more details.
Using the indirect object pronouns in Spanish
When using the Spanish indirect object pronouns in a sentence, we have to bear in mind the following:
- the 1st and 2nd person indirect object pronouns (me, te, nos, os) are always used, even when the indirect object itself is present in the sentence
- Examples:
- Nuestro vecino Enrique nos cocina de vez en cuando. Our neighbour Enrique cooks for us sometimes. (implicit indirect object)
- Nuestro vecino Enrique nos cocina a Carlos y a mí de vez en cuando. Our neighbour Enrique cooks for Carlos and me sometimes. (explicit indirect object)
- not:
Nuestro vecino Enrique cocina a Carlos y a mí de vez en cuando.
- when the indirect object comes before the verb, it must be followed by the corresponding indirect object pronoun
- Example:
- A mi compañero Carlos le cuento todas mis cosas. I tell my friend Carlos all my things.
- not:
A mi compañero Carlos cuento todas mis cosas.
Where to put Spanish object pronouns in a sentence
Spanish object pronouns generally come before the conjugated verb in a sentence.
- Examples:
- Lo conozco desde hace años. I’ve known him for years.
- lo = direct object pronoun
- A Carlos le encanta cocinar. Carlos loves cooking.
- le = indirect object pronoun
Object Pronouns with Verbal Periphrasis
With verbal periphrasis (verb + infinitive/gerund), object pronouns can come before the conjugated verb as normal, or we can attach them to the end of the infinitive or gerund.
- Examples:
- Queremos comprar una planta. We want to buy a plant.
- → La queremos cantar. or: Queremos comprarla. We want to buy one.
When attaching the object pronoun to the end of the verb form, we may need to add an accent to preserve pronunciation.
- Example:
- Estoy regando las plantas. → Estoy regándolas. I’m watering the plants. → I’m watering them.
Object Pronouns with the Imperative
We attach object pronouns to the end of an affirmative imperative but place them before a negated imperative.
- Example:
- ¡Riega las plantas otra vez! → ¡Riégalas otra vez! Water the plants again! → Water them again!
- No riegues las plantas más. → No las riegues más. Don’t water the plants anymore. → Don’t water them anymore.
Sentences with two object pronouns
When a sentence contains two object pronouns, the rule is indirect before direct.
- Example:
- Nos dieron botellas de agua. → Nos las dieron. They gave us bottles of water. → They gave them to us.
- indirect object pronoun = nos; direct object pronoun = las
When both object pronouns are in the 3rd person, the indirect object pronoun le/les changes to se before lo/la/los/las to facilitate pronunciation.
- Example:
- El profesor explicó la lección a los alumnos. The teacher explained the lesson to the students.
- → El profesor les explicó la lección. The teacher explained the lesson to them.
- → El profesor se la explicó. The teacher explained it to them.
- les becomes se before the direct object pronoun la
Prepositional Pronouns in Spanish
Prepositional pronouns (los pronombres preposicionales) are a type of object pronoun that come after prepositions (a, con, hacia, para, por, sobra, sin…).
- Example:
- Este regalo es para ti. This present is for you.
We also use prepositional pronouns with a before an indirect object. You may recognise this from phrases like a mí me gusta/encanta …
- Example:
- A mí me encanta cómo cocina. I love his cooking.
Overview of Spanish Prepositional Pronouns
| Prepositional Pronoun | Example | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Singular | 1st person | mí | No os marchéis sin mí.Don’t leave without me. |
| 2nd person | ti vos |
Todo eso es para ti.All of this is for you. He venido por vos.I came because of you. |
|
| 3rd person | él, ella usted ello sí |
El agua es para él.The water is for him. Todos esperan por usted.Everyone is waiting because of you. No cuentes con ello.Don’t trust him. Marco solo piensa en sí mismo.Marco only thinks of himself. |
|
| Plural | 1st person | nosotros, -as | No contéis con nosotras.Don’t trust us. |
| 2nd person | vosotros, -as | Pueden ir con vosotros?Can they go with you? | |
| 3rd person | ellos, -as ustedes sí |
El aplauso es para ellas.The applause is for them. Es un placer contar con ustedes.It’s a pleasure to count on you. Están hablando entre sí.They are talking amongst themselves. |
|
Exceptions
- The preposition con is combined with mí and ti to create conmigo and contigo.
- Example:
- Me encanta escuchar música contigo.I love listening to music with you.
- not:
Me encanta escuchar música con ti.
- We don’t use prepositional pronouns after entre and según. Instead, we use the subject pronouns yo and tú.
- Example:
- Entre tú y yo, no tengo ganas de ir a la fiesta.Between you and I, I don’t really feel like going to the party.
- not:
Entre ti y mí …
The pronoun sí
The pronoun sí has a reflexive meaning (= …self). It is used after a preposition in the 3rd person singular and plural.
- Examples:
- Carlos confía plenamente en sí mismo. Carlos trusts himself completely.
- but: Yo también confía plenamente en él. I trust him completely too.
The preposition con is also used with the pronoun sí: consigo.
- Example:
- Pocas personas se sienten a gusto consigo mismas. Few people feel comfortable with themselves.
