Sentences Using Indirect Object Pronouns in Spanish | Smooth

Indirect object pronouns (me, te, le, nos, les) mark who receives an action and usually sit right before the conjugated verb.

If you’ve ever said a Spanish sentence that felt “off” even though the words were right, indirect object pronouns might be the reason. They’re small, they move around, and they pop up in places English doesn’t. Once they click, your Spanish starts to sound calmer and more natural.

This article gives you a clear way to build sentences with indirect object pronouns, spot them fast, place them correctly, and avoid the classic mix-ups with direct object pronouns. You’ll get patterns you can reuse, plus short practice prompts you can try out loud.

What indirect object pronouns do in a sentence

An indirect object answers the “to whom?” or “for whom?” question. In Spanish, indirect object pronouns replace that person or group so you don’t have to repeat the noun each time.

Start with a plain sentence idea:

• I give the book to María.
• We explain the rules to them.
• He bought flowers for you.

Those “to/for” people are the indirect objects. Spanish often uses an a phrase (“a María”, “a ellos”), then swaps it with a pronoun when the context is known.

The set you’ll use most

These are the standard indirect object pronouns:

• 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 formal)

If you want the official breakdown of Spanish personal pronouns and how they’re categorized, the RAE Diccionario panhispánico de dudas entry on “pronombres personales” is a solid reference point.

How to spot the indirect object fast

Use this quick test when you’re building or correcting a sentence:

1. Find the verb.
2. Ask: “Who gets something?” or “To whom is this said/shown/sent?”
3. If the answer is a person (or an animal treated like a person), you’ve got an indirect object candidate.

Verbs that often pull an indirect object include dar (to give), decir (to tell), enviar (to send), mostrar (to show), prestar (to lend), comprar (to buy for), leer (to read to), and explicar (to explain to).

One sentence, two objects

Many sentences carry both a direct object (the thing) and an indirect object (the receiver).

• Le di el libro. (I gave the book to him/her.)
• Nos mandaron las fotos. (They sent the photos to us.)

In Spanish, the indirect object pronoun can appear even when you keep the a + person phrase. That’s called “doubling,” and it’s normal Spanish, not extra.

If you want a grammar-backed description of how indirect complements work and how doubling behaves, the RAE Nueva gramática section on the “complemento indirecto” lays out the logic and the standard patterns.

Indirect object pronouns in Spanish sentences with natural placement

Placement is where most learners trip. The good news: Spanish has a small set of placement rules, and once you learn the “slots,” you can drop pronouns in without guessing.

Rule 1: Put the pronoun before a single conjugated verb

This is the most common layout.

• Le digo la verdad. (I tell him/her the truth.)
• Nos prestan dinero. (They lend us money.)
• Te escribo mañana. (I write to you tomorrow.)

Rule 2: With two verbs, you get two legal placements

When you have a conjugated verb plus an infinitive, you can place the pronoun:

• Before the conjugated verb: Le voy a explicar.
• Attached to the infinitive: Voy a explicarle.

Both are standard. Choose the one that feels cleaner to say in that moment. When you attach it to an infinitive, keep the spelling correct: no extra accent is needed on an infinitive just because a pronoun attaches.

Rule 3: With a gerund, you can place it before or attach it

• Le estoy hablando. (I’m talking to him/her.)
• Estoy hablándole. (Same meaning.)

When you attach to a gerund, Spanish spelling often needs an accent to preserve the original stress. That’s why you’ll see hablándole, diciéndoles, mostrándome.

Rule 4: With commands, placement flips

Positive commands attach pronouns to the end:

• Dime. (Tell me.)
• Explícale. (Explain it to him/her.)
• Envíenles el enlace. (Send them the link.)

Negative commands put the pronoun before the verb:

• No me digas eso.
• No le expliques todavía.
• No les envíen nada.

Command spelling can trigger accents when you attach pronouns, since stress can shift: dime, explícale, envíenselo.

Sentences Using Indirect Object Pronouns in Spanish With Real Patterns

Memorizing single examples is slow. A faster move is to learn reusable sentence frames. Use the table below like a menu: pick a pattern, plug in your verb, then swap the receiver with a pronoun.

Pattern	Structure	Sample sentence
Giving	IOP + dar + direct object	Le doy el recibo.
Telling	IOP + decir + message	Les digo la verdad.
Sending	IOP + enviar + item	Te envío las fotos.
Showing	IOP + mostrar + item	Nos muestra el mapa.
Lending	IOP + prestar + item	Me prestas tu libro.
Buying for	IOP + comprar + item	Te compro café.
Explaining	IOP + explicar + topic	Le explico la tarea.
Reading to	IOP + leer + text	Les leo un cuento.
Recommending	IOP + recomendar + item	Nos recomienda una peli.

Say each sample out loud, then swap just one piece at a time. Switch le to me. Swap the direct object. Change the verb tense. That tiny repetition builds speed without boredom.

Doubling with “a + person” and why Spanish does it

You’ll often hear both the pronoun and the noun in the same sentence:

• Le di el libro a Marta.
• Les conté la noticia a mis padres.

This isn’t duplication for no reason. It clarifies the receiver and keeps the rhythm smooth. It’s common when the person is named, when the receiver comes first, or when you want zero ambiguity.

The grammar angle: the pronoun is the working piece, and the a + noun phrase acts like a clarifier. The RAE grammar explanation of this “repetition” pattern is worth a look if you want the formal description. The same RAE section on the complemento indirecto spells out that the phrase doesn’t create two indirect objects; it repeats or specifies the same one.

When two pronouns appear: indirect + direct together

Spanish can stack pronouns. This happens when you replace both the receiver and the thing.

Order matters. Indirect object pronouns go before direct object pronouns:

• Me lo dio. (He gave it to me.)
• Te la mando. (I send it to you.)
• Nos los explican. (They explain them to us.)

The “se” switch that surprises people

When le or les would sit right before lo/la/los/las, Spanish changes le/les to se:

• Se lo di. (I gave it to him/her.)
• Se las mandamos. (We sent them to them.)

This change is about sound and flow. Meaning stays the same. In real talk, speakers often add the clarifier to remove doubt:

• Se lo di a ella.
• Se las mandamos a ellos.

What you mean	Pronoun cluster	With clarifier
I gave it to him/her	Se lo di	Se lo di a él / a ella
She sent it to you	Te lo mandó	Te lo mandó a ti
We explained them to you all	Se los explicamos	Se los explicamos a ustedes
They showed it to us	Nos lo mostraron	Nos lo mostraron a nosotros
You told it to her	Se lo dijiste	Se lo dijiste a ella
He brought them to me	Me los trajo	Me los trajo a mí

“Gustar” style sentences: the indirect object is the star

With verbs like gustar, the person is still an indirect object, even though English treats that person like a subject.

• Me gusta el café. (Coffee is pleasing to me.)
• Le interesa la historia. (History interests him/her.)
• Nos encanta ese lugar. (That place delights us.)

Here, the “thing” (coffee, history, that place) acts like the grammatical subject. The person is marked by the indirect object pronoun. This is why you’ll see doubling a lot:

• A Marta le gusta el té.
• A mis amigos les encanta esa canción.

If you’re writing and want the standard norms for third-person clitic use (le/lo/la choices), the RAE has a dedicated note: “Uso de los pronombres lo(s), la(s), le(s)”.

Common mix-ups and how to fix them

Mix-up 1: Using “lo/la” when you mean “le/les”

Lo/la point to the direct object (the thing or person receiving the action directly). Le/les point to the receiver of that thing or message.

Try this correction drill:

• “I explain the rule to Ana.” → Le explico la regla (a Ana).
• “I explain Ana.” → La explico. (Different meaning.)

Mix-up 2: Confusion with leísmo in some regions

In parts of Spain, you’ll hear le used for a male direct object (“Le vi” for “I saw him”). That’s a real regional pattern with its own norms, yet it can blur the direct/indirect boundary for learners.

If you want a clear norm-based overview of leísmo, laísmo, and loísmo, the RAE’s usage guidance is direct: “Leísmo, laísmo y loísmo” (RAE).

Mix-up 3: Leaving out the clarifier when “se” causes ambiguity

Se lo di can mean “to him,” “to her,” or “to you (formal).” When the context isn’t crystal clear, add a él, a ella, or a usted. That single add-on makes the sentence land.

Practice set you can run in five minutes

Grab these prompts and answer out loud. After you say it, say it again with doubling. Then switch the receiver.

Fill in the indirect object pronoun

1. ___ di las llaves a mi hermana. (I gave my sister the keys.)
2. ¿___ puedes decir la hora? (Can you tell me the time?)
3. El profesor ___ explicó la regla a los estudiantes. (The teacher explained the rule to the students.)
4. ___ voy a comprar un regalo a ustedes. (I’m going to buy you all a gift.)
5. No ___ escribas hoy. (Don’t write to him/her today.)

Turn the phrase into a pronoun sentence

1. Voy a mandar un mensaje a Ana.
2. Estamos contando la historia a mis primos.
3. Ella está mostrando el contrato a usted.
4. Digan la verdad a nosotros.

Answer idea: replace the receiver phrase with the matching pronoun, then decide placement based on the verb form (single verb, two verbs, gerund, command).

A final check you can use while writing

• Ask “to whom?” or “for whom?” If the sentence answers it, an indirect object is present.
• Pick the matching pronoun: me, te, le, nos, os, les.
• Single conjugated verb: pronoun before the verb.
• Two verbs: pronoun before the conjugated verb or attached to the infinitive.
• Gerund: pronoun before or attached; add accents when stress needs it.
• Positive command: attach; negative command: place before.
• Le/les + lo/la/los/las becomes se; add a él/a ella/a usted when clarity is needed.