Spanish grammar guide · Updated October 2026 · 10 min read
The short answer
Lo (and la, los, las) replaces the direct object: the person or thing that directly receives the action (¿El libro? Lo compré — I bought it). Le (and les) replaces the indirect object: the person to whom or for whom something is done (Le di el libro — I gave him the book). If you could say “to him” or “for her” in English, use le.
Lo and Le at a Glance
LO / LAdirect objecthim / her / it / you (usted)plural: los / lasagrees in gender
LEindirect objectto / for him, her, youplural: lessame for both gendersbecomes se before lo
Lo and le both translate as “him” in English, so it’s easy to see why learners mix them up. The difference is the job the person or thing does in the sentence: is it the thing being acted on, or the one receiving it? Once you can spot that, choosing between lo and le takes a second. This guide shows you a simple test, the verbs that catch English speakers out, how se lo works, the regional habit called leísmo, and a quiz to check your understanding.
The Object Pronouns
Here’s the good news: in the first and second person, direct and indirect pronouns are identical. You only ever have to choose in the third person, which is where lo and le live.
Direct object
Indirect object
me
me
me
you (tú)
te
te
him / it (m.) / you (usted, m.)
lo
le
her / it (f.) / you (usted, f.)
la
us
nos
nos
you all (vosotros)
os
os
them (m.) / you all (ustedes, m.)
los
les
them (f.) / you all (ustedes, f.)
las
Notice that lo/la change for gender, but le doesn’t: le can mean “to him”, “to her” or “to you (usted)”.
The Test: Lo or Le?
Find the verb and ask two questions:
Ask “what?” or “whom?”
Ask “to whom?” or “for whom?”
The answer is the direct object → lo, la, los, las
The answer is the indirect object → le, les
Compro el pan. (What do I buy? The bread.)→ Lo compro.
Compro el pan a mi abuela. (For whom? My grandma.)→ Le compro el pan.
Veo a María. (Whom do I see? María.)→ La veo.
Escribo un mensaje a María. (To whom? María.)→ Le escribo un mensaje.
⚠️ Watch out for the “personal a”: Spanish puts a in front of people even when they’re the direct object (Veo a María). So “a + person” does not automatically mean le. A good shortcut: if the sentence already has a thing being given, sent, said or bought, the person is almost always the indirect object.
When to Use Lo, La, Los, Las
Use these to replace the direct object: the thing or person the action happens to. They must match the noun they replace in gender and number.
LO
1. Replacing things
the object being bought, seen, used, read…
¿Tienes el pasaporte? Sí, lo tengo.Do you have the passport? Yes, I have it.
Compré una camisa, pero no la uso.I bought a shirt, but I don’t wear it.
¿Los billetes? Los dejé en casa.The tickets? I left them at home.
Me encantan estas galletas. ¿Dónde las compraste?I love these cookies. Where did you buy them?
LO
2. Replacing people
the person who is seen, called, invited, loved…
¿Conoces a Laura? Sí, la conozco.Do you know Laura? Yes, I know her.
Vi a tus primos ayer. Los vi en el parque.I saw your cousins yesterday. I saw them in the park.
Voy a invitar a mis amigas. Las voy a invitar a cenar.I’m going to invite my friends. I’m going to invite them to dinner.
Encantado de conocerlo, señor García.Pleased to meet you, Mr. García. (usted)
LO
3. Neuter lo: replacing an idea
“it” meaning a fact or situation
No lo sé.I don’t know (it).
¿Que se casan? No lo sabía.They’re getting married? I didn’t know that.
Lo siento.I’m sorry. (literally “I feel it”)
When to Use Le, Les
Use these for the person who receives something or who the action is done to or for. They don’t change for gender.
LE
1. Giving, sending, showing
the person who receives something
Le di un regalo a mi madre.I gave my mother a present.
Les mandé las fotos a mis padres.I sent the photos to my parents.
¿Le enseñaste la casa a Pedro?Did you show Pedro the house?
LE
2. Saying, asking, telling
the person you speak or write to
¿Le dijiste la verdad?Did you tell him/her the truth?
Le pregunté la hora a un señor.I asked a man for the time.
Les escribo un correo a mis profesores.I’m writing an email to my teachers.
LE
3. Doing something for someone
the person who benefits
Le preparé la cena a mi hermano.I made dinner for my brother.
¿Les compro algo a los niños?Shall I buy something for the kids?
💡 The “double” le: Spanish usually keeps le even when the person is named in the same sentence: Le di el libro a Juan. It looks redundant to English speakers, but it’s the natural way to say it, so don’t leave the le out.
Using Both Together: Se Lo
When a sentence has both pronouns, the indirect one comes first. And when le or les lands right before lo, la, los or las, it turns into se. Spanish never says “le lo”.
Le doy el libro. → Se lo doy.I give him the book. → I give it to him.
Les mando las fotos. → Se las mando.I send them the photos. → I send them to them.
Me das la llave. → Me la das.You give me the key. → You give it to me.
¡Dámelo!Give it to me!
Where the pronouns go
Verb form
Position
Example
Conjugated verb
before the verb
Lo compro.
Infinitive
before the conjugated verb, or attached
Lo voy a comprar. / Voy a comprarlo.
Gerund (-ando / -iendo)
before the conjugated verb, or attached
Lo estoy leyendo. / Estoy leyéndolo.
Affirmative command
attached
¡Cómpralo!
Negative command
before the verb
¡No lo compres!
✍️ Accent marks: attaching pronouns often means adding a written accent to keep the stress in the same place: leyendo → leyéndolo, compra → cómpralo, da → dámelo.
Verbs That Trip Up English Speakers
English and Spanish don’t always agree on which verbs take a direct or indirect object. These are the ones to watch.
Always le, though English has no “to”
Le gusta el café — he likes coffee
Le encanta bailar — she loves dancing
Le duele la cabeza — his head hurts
Les interesa la historia — they’re interested in history
¿Qué le parece? — what do you think?
Le falta dinero — she’s short of money
Lo / la, though English uses “for”, “to” or “at”
buscar (look for) — Lo busco.
esperar (wait for) — La espero.
escuchar (listen to) — Los escucho.
mirar (look at) — Las miro.
Same verb, different meaning
Lo
Lo pagué.I paid it. (the bill)
Le
Le pagué.I paid him. (the waiter)
Leísmo: When Spaniards Say Le for “Him”
If you learn Spanish in Spain, or watch Spanish TV, you’ll hear le where this guide says lo: A Juan le vi ayer instead of A Juan lo vi ayer. This is called leísmo.
Le conozco desde hace años. (Spain)I’ve known him for years. Standard: Lo conozco.
¿Le ayudo, señora? (very common everywhere)Can I help you, madam? Standard: ¿La ayudo?
The Real Academia Española accepts le for a single male person, so it isn’t a mistake. Using le for things (¿El libro? Le compré) or using la as an indirect object (La dije la verdad, called laísmo) is considered incorrect.
🌎 What should you do? Use lo/la for direct objects. It’s correct everywhere and is the norm across Latin America. Just don’t be surprised when a Spaniard says le.
Common Mistakes English Speakers Make
Le veo a María.La veo.María is who you see: the direct object. The “a” is just the personal a.
Lo dije la verdad.Le dije la verdad.The truth is what you said (direct); the person you said it to is indirect.
Le lo doy.Se lo doy.Le becomes se before lo, la, los, las.
Lo gusta el chocolate.Le gusta el chocolate.Gustar always takes an indirect object pronoun.
Busco por él.Lo busco.Buscar already means “look for”, and it takes a direct object. (More on that in por vs para.)
Compré las flores y lo puse en la mesa.… y las puse en la mesa.Lo/la/los/las must match the noun: las flores → las.
Lo vs Le Quiz
Choose the right pronoun for each sentence. You’ll see the reason straight away.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between lo and le in Spanish?
Lo (and la, los, las) replaces the direct object: the person or thing that directly receives the action (¿El libro? Lo compré, I bought it). Le (and les) replaces the indirect object: the person to whom or for whom something is done (Le di el libro, I gave him the book). If you could say “to him” or “for her” in English, use le.
Is it “le quiero” or “lo quiero”?
Standard grammar says lo quiero (I love him) and la quiero (I love her), because the person is the direct object. In much of Spain you’ll also hear le quiero for a man. This is leísmo, and the Real Academia Española accepts it for a single male person.
Why do you say “se lo” instead of “le lo”?
When le or les comes right before lo, la, los or las, it changes to se. So Le doy el libro becomes Se lo doy (I give it to him), never le lo doy. This se has nothing to do with reflexive verbs.
Do you use le or lo with gustar?
Always le. With gustar, the person is an indirect object (the thing is pleasing to them): Le gusta el café, A mis padres les encanta viajar. The same goes for encantar, interesar, doler and parecer.
Does the word “a” mean I should use le?
No. Spanish puts a before people even when they’re the direct object (the personal a): Veo a María becomes La veo, not Le veo. Only use le if the person is receiving something or the action is done to or for them, as in Le escribo una carta a María.
Where do lo and le go in the sentence?
Before a conjugated verb (Lo compro), or attached to the end of an infinitive, a gerund or an affirmative command (Voy a comprarlo, Estoy comprándolo, ¡Cómpralo!). With an infinitive or gerund you can choose either position. See the full table.