Accusative and Dative Pronouns in Spanish
Accusative pronouns (Direct object)
When the personal pronoun is used as direct object of the verb (accusative), it can refer to persons as well as animals or things.
| Pronoun | Meaning |
|---|---|
| me | me |
| te | you (no formal) |
| lo | him its you (masculine singular formal) |
| la | her you (feminine singular formal) |
| nos | us |
| os | you all |
| los | them (masculine) you (masculine plural formal) |
| las | them (feminine) you (feminine plural formal) |
¿Me quieres? no, no te quiero
Do you love me? No, I don´t love you
¿Te conozco? sí, claro, soy Elena, hermana de Juan
Do I know you? Yeah, of course, I'm Elena, John´s sister
Dative personal pronouns (Indirect object)
The same thing happens with the personal pronoun when it is used as a indirect object (dative). It can refer to persons, animals and things as well.
| Pronoun | Meaning |
|---|---|
| me | me |
| te | you (no formal) |
| le (se)* | him its her you (singular formal) |
| nos | us |
| os | you all |
| les (se)* | them you (plural formal) |
¿Qué te ha dicho? Me ha dicho que todo está bien
What did he say? He said that everything is okay
Dative Pronoun "se"
If we put together "le" or "les" (indirect object) and "la" or "lo" (direct object), "le" or "les" are replaced by "se".
¿Has dado el libro a Juan? sí, se lo he dado (le --> se)
Did you give the book to John? Yes, I gave it to him
¿Has dado los libros a Juan? sí, se los he dado
Did you give the books to John? Yes, I gave them to him.
¿Te ha pedido Rosa el carné? sí, me lo ha pedido
Did Rosa ask you for the ID? Yes, she asked me for it.
¿Os ha pedido Rosa el carné? sí, nos lo ha pedido
Did Rosa ask you for the ID? Yes, she asked us for it.