Using le and les = [to] it, him, her, them (indirect object pronouns)

Learn about the Spanish pronouns le and les

Le and les are pronouns: they replace a noun (person, animal or thing) used as the indirect object in a sentence. This type of pronoun is called an indirect object pronoun.

Have a look at these examples:

¿Ella envía un regalo a Miguel? Sí, ella le envía un regalo.Is she sending a present to Miguel? Yes, she is sending him a present.

¿Quién prepara la fiesta a Sofía? Nosotros le preparamos la fiesta.Who is preparing the party for Sofía? We are preparing the party for her.

¿Luna escribe a sus amigas? Sí, les escribe.Does Luna write to her friends? Yes, she writes to them.

You also use le or les to replace the formal forms usted and ustedes:

Señora Valls, le doy su carta.Mrs. Valls, I am giving you your letter.

Señor y Señora Aldama, hoy les pago la renta.Mr. and Mrs. Aldama, today I'm paying you the rent.

 

Here are some other examples where le and les refer to things:

Añadí sal a la comida. Le añadí sal.I added salt to the food. I added salt to it.


Puse alcohol a las bebidas. Les puse alcohol.I put some alcohol in the drinks. I put some alcohol in them.

 

Note that the indirect object pronoun agrees in number with the noun it is replacing:

  Masculine / Feminine
Singular le 
to it / him / her / you
Plural les 
to them / you

The indirect object pronoun is placed in front of the conjugated verb.


Something to bear in mind:

In Spanish, it's common to use both the indirect object pronoun and the noun it's replacing in the same sentence, for emphasis:

Ella le envió un regalo a Miguel.She sent a present to Miguel.

Nosotros les preparamos la cena a nuestros invitados.We are cooking dinner for our guests.

Señor López, le entrego el paquete.Mr. Lopez, I am delivering the package to you.

Hoy les pago la renta a ustedes.Today I'm paying you the rent.

The repetition of the indirect object and indirect object pronoun is explained in more detail in this advanced lesson: Repetition of indirect object pronouns with verbs in Spanish (general)

Also see Using lo, la, los, las = him, her, it, them (direct object pronouns).

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Examples and resources

¿Ella envía un regalo a Miguel? Sí, ella le envía un regalo.Is she sending a present to Miguel? Yes, she is sending him a present.
Añadí sal a la comida. Le añadí sal.I added salt to the food. I added salt to it.
Puse alcohol a las bebidas. Les puse alcohol.I put some alcohol in the drinks. I put some alcohol in them.
Le di un abrazo.I gave her a hug.
Les dije que era una mala idea.I told them it was a bad idea.
Señor López, le entrego el paquete.Mr. Lopez, I am delivering the package to you.
Le di unas monedas porque estaba hambriento.I gave him some coins because he was starving.
Le dije que la quería.I told her I loved her.
Le di unas monedas porque estaba hambriento.I gave him some coins because he was starving.
Les pregunté cómo estaban.I asked them how they were.
Les ofrecí un café.I offered them a coffee.
Señor y Señora Aldama, hoy les pago la renta.Mr. and Mrs. Aldama, today I'm paying you the rent.
Yo le doy el periódico al portero ahora.I am giving the newspaper to the doorman now.
Señora Valls, le doy su carta.Mrs. Valls, I am giving you your letter.
Yo les doy las llaves a sus amigos.I am giving the keys to his friends.
¿Quién prepara la fiesta a Sofía? Nosotros le preparamos la fiesta.Who is preparing the party for Sofía? We are preparing the party for her.
Nosotros les preparamos la cena a nuestros invitados.We are cooking dinner for our guests.
¿Luna escribe a sus amigas? Sí, les escribe.Does Luna write to her friends? Yes, she writes to them.
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