Indirect object pronouns in Spanish are used to indicate to whom or for whom an action is performed. They are placed before the conjugated verb or attached to the end of an infinitive or present participle. Here’s a simple explanation:
### Indirect Object Pronouns
| Pronoun | English |
|---------|---------|
| me | to/for me |
| te | to/for you (informal) |
| le | to/for him, her, you (formal) |
| nos | to/for us |
| os | to/for you all (informal, in Spain) |
| les | to/for them, you all |
### Examples:
1. **Before the conjugated verb:**
- **Yo le doy un regalo.**
- *I give him/her a gift.*
- **Te cuento una historia.**
- *I tell you a story.*
2. **Attached to the infinitive:**
- **Voy a darle un regalo.**
- *I am going to give him/her a gift.*
- **Quiero contarte una historia.**
- *I want to tell you a story.*
3. **Attached to the present participle:**
- **Estoy dándole un regalo.**
- *I am giving him/her a gift.*
- **Estoy contándote una historia.**
- *I am telling you a story.*
### Key Points
- The indirect object pronoun often corresponds to a person, not an object.
- In some sentences, you might see the indirect object noun and pronoun used together for emphasis or clarity: **"Le doy el libro a Juan."** (*I give the book to Juan.*)
- **Le** and **les** are often clarified by adding **a él, a ella, a usted, a ellos, a ellas, or a ustedes** to avoid ambiguity.
Understanding these basics will help you recognize and use indirect object pronouns correctly in simple sentences.
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