“Lo”, “la”, “le” — and they go in front
CEFR A2 · part 1
edumaterial's parts within the level. The European framework does not subdivide them.
“Comí” or “comía”Choosing between the two past tenses: a finished action with “comí”, a background, a…“Por” or “para”Choosing between “por” and “para” for cause, purpose, destination, duration, exchange…“Saber” or “conocer”Using “saber” for facts, information and skills, and “conocer” for being acquainted with…“Me duele la cabeza”, not “mi cabeza”Using the article instead of the possessive with parts of the body and clothes, because…“Voy a menudo”: where the adverb goesPlacing “siempre”, “nunca”, “ya”, “todavía”, “a menudo” and “casi” where Spanish puts…“Ser” or “estar”: two verbs for one “to be”Choosing between “ser” and “estar” in everyday sentences: who you are and what you are…The rule, in three lines
An object becomes lo, la, los or las when it is the thing the verb acts on, and le or les when it is the person who receives something. They go IN FRONT of a conjugated verb — lo veo, le doy el libro — and they can only be attached to an infinitive, a gerund or a positive command: quiero verlo, dímelo.
The usual slip. Putting the pronoun after the conjugated verb, as English does: veo lo.
Why it catches you out. English puts the object after the verb, always and without exception: “I see it”. Spanish moves it in front, and that word order feels wrong to you for months. The gender is the second half: “it” is “lo” for a masculine thing and “la” for a feminine one, and you have to know which before you can say it.