Pronouns

1. Subject pronouns (pronombres usados como sujetos)

singular
yo
t
usted
l
ella

I
you (familiar)
you (formal)
he
she

plural
nosotros, nosotras
vosotros, vosotras
ustedes
ellos
ellas

we
you (familiar, Spain)
you
they (masc.)
they (fem.)

2. Note the accent marks over t [to distinguish it from tu meaning your]
and l [to distinguish it from el meaning the].
3. Subject pronouns are used as the subject of a verb (the verb may be
implied); they are also used as the predicate complement after the
verb ser.
Yo prefiero coca-cola.
Es ella?
Quin lo hizo? Yo.

I prefer Coca-cola.
Is it her? [Is it she?]
Who did it? I did. [implied verb]

4. The vosotros form is used as the plural of t in Spain; in Latin

America ustedes is used as the second person plural, both familiar and
plural.
Cmo estis vosotros?
Cmo estn ustedes?

How are you all doing? (Spain, familiar)

How are you all doing? (Spain, formal plural;
Latin America, both formal and familiar plural)

5. The masculine forms nosotros, vosotros, and ellos are used when
referring to a group of males and females; the feminine
forms nosotras, vosotras, and ellas are used only when the group consists
entirely of females.
Nosotras estamos cansadas.

We are tired. (all female)

6. In English the subject pronoun it is used very frequently. If it is

indefinite that is, if it doesn't refer back to anything at all it
is NOT expressed in Spanish. YOU CANNOT USE LO AS THE SUBJECT OF

A VERB since it is not a subject pronoun but rather a direct object pronoun

(or the neuter article used with adjectives). If it or its plural form they
is used as a subject pronoun referring to something definite, it is normally
omitted in Spanish; however, if for some reason it is essential to include
such a subject pronoun, it is sometimes expressed using: 1) the regular
masculine/feminine, singular/plural subject pronouns depending on the
gender and number of the thing(s) referred to [this is done primarily where
the thing can be personified], or 2) the neuter form ello if it refers to an
abstract idea or a general situation instead of something physical.
Es obvio que est nevando.

It's obvious that it is snowing. [It in both cases is

indefinite, and not expressed in Spanish.]

Los libros? Estn all.

The books? They're over there. [They is usually

omitted in Spanish in this case.]

Mis hijos dicen que las flores

son un regalo de Dios. Ellasnos
traen color y alegra.

My children say that flowers are a gift from God. They

bring us color and happinesss. [Ellas can be used here
- but it could and often would be omitted.]

Jorge perdi el billete

que Juana le
dio. Ello caus toda una serie
de infortunios para la familia.

Jorge lost the ticket Juana gave him. It [his having lost
it] caused a whole series of disasters for the
family. [Ello can be used here,
but esto, eso or aquello would more be employed more
frequently.]

7. Prepositional object pronouns

singular
m
ti
usted
l
ella

me
you
you (fam.)
him (formal)
her

plural
nosotros, nosotras
vosotros, vosotras
ustedes
ellos
ellas

us
you (familiar, Spain)
you
them
them (all female)

s himself/herself/yourself/themselves/yourselves

8. These pronouns are used as objects of prepositions. They are identical to

the subject pronouns except for m, ti and s. Note that m has a written
accent mark to distinguish it from mi meaning my; the same applies
to s, as opposed to si meaning if. The t form, ti, does NOT have an
accent mark.

9. Examples:
Es para l o para ella?
No saldrn sin nosotros.
A m me gusta el chocolate.

Is it for him or for her?

They won't leave without us.
I like chocolate.

10.Special cases:
11. Special forms are found for m, ti, and s after the preposition con:
conmigo with me

Vas conmigo?

Are you going with me?

contigo

with you; fam.

sing.

Me gustara
salir contigo.

I'd like to go out with you.

consigo

with himself/
herself/ yourself

No traen
dinero consigo.

You/they don't bring money with

yourselves/ themselves.

12.A very few prepositions are followed by subject pronouns. These

include entre (between), segn (according
to), salvo (except), excepto (except), and hasta (until, up to).
Entre t y yo, no es verdad.
Segn t, todo el mundo sabe lo que
pas anoche.

Between to you and me, it's not true.

According to you, everyone knows what
happened last night.

13.Direct object pronouns (pronombres de complemento directo)

singular
me
te
lo
la

me
you
him, you, it
her, you, it

plural
nos
os
los
las

us
you (fam. Spain)
them, you
them, you

se himself/herself/yourself/themselves/yourselves

14.These forms are used as the direct objects of verbs. Lo and la are used as
the direct object forms of usted, los and las for ustedes. THESE FORMS
MUST BE USED IF A PRONOUN IS REQUIRED FOR THE DIRECT OBJECT
AND THE VERB IS EXPRESSED. A prepositional phrase (e.g., a l, a ella, a

usted) is sometimes added for clarity or for emphasis, primarily in spoken

Spanish.

Me oyes?
Te necesito.
Lo conozco.
Lo conozco a l.
Lo conozco a usted.

Do you hear me?

I need you.
I know him. Or: I know you (masculine formal usted). Or: I am
familiar with it.
I know him.
I know you.

Yo me miro en el espejo. I look at myself in the mirror.

El se quiere mucho.
He loves himself a lot.
Ustedes se matan.
You are killing yourselves.

15.Note that these are with-verb forms, and cannot be used if the verb is only
implied; in that case, the prepositional phrase forms are required: a l, a
ella, etc.
A quin vio Ud.? A ella?
No, a l.

Who(m) did you see? Her? (verb implied)

No, him.

16.Indirect object pronouns (pronombres de complemento indirecto)

singular
me
te
le

to me
to you
to him, her, you, it

plural
nos
os
les

to us
to you (familiar, Spain)
to them, you

se to himself/herself/yourself/themselves/yourselves

17.These pronouns are used as the indirect objects of verbs. As with direct
object pronouns, they are required when the indirect object is a pronoun
(in contrast to a noun) but a prepositional phrase may be added for
clarification or emphasis.
Me hablas?
Me hablas a m?

Are you talking to me?

Are you talking to me? [a m added for emphasis]

Le dije la verdad.
Le dije la verdad a ella.

I told him/her/you the truth.

I told her the truth. [A ella added for clarification since le can
mean him or you.]

18.Since these are with-verb pronouns they cannot be used if the verb is only
implied. The preposition a plus prepositional object pronouns are used in
such cases:

A quin hablas? A m?
S, a t.

Who are talking to? (To) Me?

Yes, (to) you.

19.In contrast to the situation with direct object pronouns, indirect object
pronouns are normally used even when a noun is expressed as the indirect
object:
Veo a Carlos.
Le mando un regalo a Carlos.
Les escribo a todos.

I see Carlos. [Carlos is the direct object; lo is not added]

I'm sending a present to Carlos.
I write (to) everyone.

20.Special situations:
21.When parts of the body and articles of clothing appear as the direct
object in Spanish, normally the definite article is used instead of the
possessive adjective (my, your, his); an indirect object pronoun is
used to indicate the person involved:
Me pongo los zapatos.
Ella se cort el dedo.
Les duelen los brazos.

I put on my shoes.
She cut her finger.
Their arms hurt.

22.Position of object pronouns

Object pronouns normally occur immediately before the verb. However, if
the verb is an affirmative command, an infinitive, or a gerund (-ndo form),
the object pronouns are attached to the end of the verb form. Note that
when pronouns are appended to a verb a written accent mark is necessary
when the stressed syllable is more than two syllables from the end of the
word.
No lo veo.
No me digas nada!
Hblenos usted!
Favor de darme el libro.
Qu ests haciendo?
Quitndome el suter.

I don't see it.

Don't say anything to me!
Talk to us!
Please give me the book.
What are you doing?
Taking off my sweater.

If the verb form consists of a conjugated verb and either an infinitive or

an -ndo form, the user has the option of placing the object pronouns before
the conjugated verb or attaching them to the end of the unconjugated one.
Voy a verlo.
OR:

I'm going to see him/you/it. (masculine)

Lo voy a ver.
Estamos buscndola.
OR:

La estamos buscando.

We're looking for her/you/it. (feminine)

23.Double object pronouns

When both a direct and an indirect object pronoun occur with the same
verb, the indirect object pronoun always comes first. If the letter l occurs
as the first letter of both the indirect object pronoun (le,les) and the direct
object pronoun (lo, la, los, las), the indirect object pronoun is changed
to se.
Ya nos lo dijeron.
Vndamelos.

They already told (it to) us.

Sell them to me!

le lo:
les la:
le los:

I gave it to her.
I sent it to them.
We will give them to him/her.

Se lo di a ella.
Se la mand a ellos.
Se los regalaremos.

24.Interrogative pronouns (pronombres interrogativos)

Quin?, Quines? .................................
Quin rompi la ventana?
Quines van contigo?
A quin?, A quines?
A quin ves en el espejo?
A quines debemos emplear?
Qu? ........................................................
Qu es esto?
Qu hace usted?
Qu quiere decir anda?
Cul?, Cules? ......................................

Cul prefieres? El rojo?

Cul es tu nmero de telfono?

Who? (used as a subject pronoun; note that

a plural form exists)
Who broke the window?
Who (all) is going with you?
Who(m)? (used as an indirect or direct
object pronoun)
Whom do you see in the mirror?
Whom (all) should we hire?
What? (when asking for information, e.g.,
the definition or identification of
something)
What is this (thing)?
What are you doing?
What does anda mean?
Which one(s)?, What? (which one out of
two or more possibilities; note the uses
below, some of which do NOT
use Qu? as you might have expected.)
Which one do you prefer? The red one?
What is your phone number?

Cul es su lugar de nacimiento?

Cul es su nacionalidad?

What is your place of birth?

What is her nationaliity?

25.Demonstrative pronouns (pronombres demostrativos)

singular

plural

ste
sta
esto

this one
this one
this

stos
stas

these
these

se
sa
eso

that one
that one
that

sos
sas

those
those

aqul
aqulla
aquello

that one
that one
that

aqullos
aqullas

those
those

26.Demonstrative pronouns point out something (this, these, that, those). In

English, we usually just make two distinctions: between this thing (close
by) and that thing (in the distance, or close to the person spoken to). In
Spanish, three distinctions are usually made: ste (this thing close
by), se (that thing close to the person spoken to) and aqul (that thing in
the distance). You will recall that the demonstrative adjectives
(este libro, esa mesa, etc.) do NOT carry accent marks; the use of accent
marks on these pronoun forms is considered optional in some grammar
books, but use them for in this class.
27.Neuter demonstrative pronouns also exist: esto (this thing), eso (that thing,
near the person spoken to), aquello (that thing in the distance). These
neuter never carry a written accent mark. They are used to refer to
something unknown (as in the first sentence below), or to refer to a general
situation, or an abstract concept or something said earlier (as in the last
example below).
Qu es eso?
Esto es un reloj.
Y ste es mi reloj favorito.
Se parece mucho a aqul all en la
joyera.
Eso es ridculo.

What's that [in your hand]?

This is a watch.
And this is my favorite watch.
It looks a lot like that one over there in the
jewelry store.
That [what you just said] is ridiculous.

28.The demonstrative pronoun ste/a can be used for latter

and se/a or aqul/la for former (Note that in English the order is
usually the former ... the latter, whereas in Spanish it is usually the other
way around: sta... sa...).
Juanita y Marta son
amigas, pero
son muy distintas;
a sta le gusta
leer, mientras
que sa prefiere
ver la tele.

Juanita and Martha

are friends,
but they are very
different;
the former prefers to
watch TV,
while the latter likes
to read.
(Note that the order in which the two girls are
subsequently described is reversed in the two
versions.)

29.Miscellaneous other pronouns and related expressions

alguien
= someone, anyone
algo
= something, anything
cada uno(-a)
=
todo el mundo
=
quienquiera
=
cualquiera
=

nadie
nada

= no one, nobody
= nothing

each (one)
everyone
anyone (at all)
anything (whatsoever)

31.Remember that the pronoun forms referring to people [such

as alguien and nadie] require the use of the personal a when occurring as
the direct object of a verb. Also keep in mind the rule for forming negative
sentences: one negative word must occur in front of the verb (others may
follow the verb).
Buscas a alguien?
No. Yo no necesito a nadie.

Are you looking for someone?

No. I don't need anyone.

No veo nada aqu de inters.

Puedo mostrarle algo maravilloso.

I don't see anything interesting here.

I can show you something marvelous.

Quin pagara $30 por esa pluma?

Quienquiera.

Who would pay $30 for that pen?

Anybody (would).

32.Reciprocal vs. reflexive pronouns: ourselves vs. each other

The plural direct and indirect object pronouns nos, os, and se can of course
be used reflexively to mean ourselves, yourselves, and themselves;

in this case the doer and the recipient of the action are the same. These
same plural forms may also be used to express reciprocal actions,
expressing the idea of (to/with/for/etc.) each other or one another.
Thus the expression nos miramoscan mean both we see ourselves (for
example, two of us are looking in the mirror and each of us sees both of
us) or it can mean we see each other (we pass each other on the street
and each one sees the other one). To distinguish between reflexive and
reciprocal actions, clarifying prepositional phrases are often added:
The usual clarifying prepositional phrases for reflexives, are:
nos + a nosotros(-as) mismos(-as)
= (to) ourselves
os + a vosotros(-as) mismos(-as)
= (to) yourselves (Spain, plural of t)
se + a s mismos(-as)
= (to) themselves, (to) you
Nos queremos a nosotros mismos.
We love ourselves.
Las chicas se cayeron y se hicieron dao a si
The girls fell down and hurt
mismas.
themselves.

For reciprocals, you may use as a clarifyer mutuamente or one of the

following:
(el) uno a(l) otro
(la) una a la otra
(los) unos a (los) otros
(las) unas a (las) otras

= (to) each other (two persons, male or one male and one female)
= (to) each other (two persons, both female)
= (to) each other (more than two persons male or all male or
male and female)
= (to) each other (more than two persons, all female)

[Note: The definite article is optional. The preposition a is used in these

samples, but is often replaced by other prepositions depending on
individual sentence; see the use of con below.]
Ella y yo nos queremos el uno al otro.
Ellas se enojaron y se hicieron dao unas a
otras.
Carmen y los chicos charlaban unos con los
otros.

She and I love each other.

The girls got angry and hurt each other.
Carmen and the boys were chatting with
one another.