Personal pronouns

Personal pronouns Los pronombres personales Level 1 1.1 Personal pronoun as subject Pronombre personal como sujeto 1.2 Personal pronoun as direct object Pronombre personal como objeto/co

Personal pronouns (Los pronombres personales)

Level 1

1.1 Personal pronoun as subject (Pronombre personal como sujeto)

1.2 Personal pronoun as direct object (Pronombre personal como

objeto/complemento directo)

1.3 Personal pronoun as indirect object (Pronombre personal como

objeto/complemento indirecto)

1.4 Pronouns with prepositions / (disjunctive pronouns) (Pronombres con

preposiciones / [pronombres disyuntivos] )

i The following personal pronouns are regularly used as the subject of a sentence:

´

El/Ella/Ud compra una casa He/She/You buy(s) a house

Nosotros/as compramos una casa We (males) / We (females) buy a house

Vosotros/as compr´ais una casa You (males) / You (females) buy a house

Ellos/Ellas/Uds compran una casa They (males) / They (females) / You buy a

house

ii A number of comments are to be made here The first is that the yo / t ´u / nosotros/as / vosotros/as forms are not used very frequently since the verb endings make it clear

who is being referred to Secondly, if there is a mixture of males and females the

masculine forms are used, i.e nosotros, vosotros, ellos The female forms nosotras, vosotras, ellas would only be used if females alone were referred to The vosotros/as forms are not used in Spanish America and are replaced entirely by Uds This is also

true of Spanish spoken in the United States This feature could be disconcerting for a Spanish speaker from Spain who would normally use the more friendly, intimate form

vosotros/as The present author who has experienced innumerable years of Iberian and Mexican Spanish still has some problems accommodating the Uds form within an

intimate or family situation Conversely, Mexican speakers of Spanish find the

vosotros/as forms antiquated and quaint The younger Mexican generation would doubtless have difficulty using the corresponding verb form – platic ´ais (habl ´ais) (you speak), corr ´eis (you run), ped´ıs (you ask for), etc – while forms of the preterit or

imperfect subjunctive would doubtless be a mystery to them: hablasteis (you spoke), hablarais/hablaseis (you should speak) Needless to say, therefore, you are in good

company if you have initial problems conquering some forms of the Spanish

imperfect subjunctive Finally, the t ´u form is the familiar mode of address when you are speaking to someone you know (well), while the passage from the Ud./Uds forms

to this familiar t ´u, and vosotros/as forms is much easier in Spain and Mexico than in

France, for example, where the vous form, instead of tu, still holds considerable sway.

In this sense, Spain and Mexico are similar to Italy (Lei to tu) (See level2 for further

treatment of the t ´u and Ud forms.)

i The following personal pronouns are all in common use as direct objects Note that

these direct objects (and indirect ones), precede the verb, apart from with the infinitive, the positive imperative, and the gerund (see level 2.1 ).

Ella me ve She sees me

Ella te ve you (one person)

Ella lo/le ve him/you/it (m.)

Ella la ve her/it (f.)

Ella nos ve us

Ella os ve you (more than one person) (not in M)

Ella los/les ve them/you (m., or m and f.)

Ella las ve them/you (f.)

ii The following comments are to be borne in mind You cannot separate the direct

object pronoun from the verb In other words, you cannot put me/te, etc., in any other part of the sentence Furthermore, as with the subject pronoun t ´u, te refers to

a person whom you are addressing and you know (well) Lo and le are both used for him and male you (whom you do not know well) but the use of lo is much more

extensive, and is used over the whole of Spanish America and therefore includes Mexico, and many parts of Spain Castilla La Vieja and northern Spain generally,

together with the traditional literature of much of Spain, still adhere to the use of le

for him as direct object, and you as direct object for a person you are addressing but

do not know well If you read much Spanish literature of the traditional kind you will

find le comes more readily than lo.

In a recent survey recorded by Manuel Seco (Dudas y dificultades de la lengua espa˜nola), by

far the higher percentage of Spanish authors use the le form as opposed to the lo form.

However, this problem should not be exaggerated for both are acceptable, although you

will rarely, if at all, hear le for him / male you as direct object in Mexico or anywhere else in Spanish America Lo is used for objects, i.e things which are masculine Le is not

possible here

The remarks on le and lo also apply to the plurals les and los, although los is more common, even in Spain, than les with the meaning of you/them as plural direct object.

La refers to a female person = her, and to objects which are feminine It is also used

when addressing a female you do not know well

Nos covers both males and females There is no distinctive female form The same

may be said for os Os is not used in Spanish America and is replaced by los, or

las, the corresponding object pronoun forms of the subject pronouns ellos/ellas/ Uds.

Los and las are used for masculine and feminine objects, respectively.

Further examples with all the combinations:

Ellos me esperan They are waiting for me

Ellos te esperan They are waiting for you (one person whom

you know well)

Ellos le esperan They are waiting for you (one male person

whom the speaker does not know well) / They are waiting for him (only in certain northern and central parts of Spain)

Ellos lo esperan They are waiting for him (in all Spanish

America and much of southern Spain)

Ellos la esperan They are waiting for her

Ellos la esperan They are waiting for you (one female person

whom the speaker does not know well)

Ellos lo esperan They are waiting for you (one male person

whom the speaker does not know well, over much of southern Spain and all Spanish America)

Ellos lo esperan They are waiting for it (masculine noun)

(e.g un tren= train)

Ellos la esperan They are waiting for it (feminine noun) (e.g

una comida= meal)

Ellos nos esperan They are waiting for us

Ellos os esperan They are waiting for you (more than one

person whom the speaker knows well, and in Spain, not Spanish America)

Ellos les esperan They are waiting for them (male persons, or

male(s) and female(s), in central and northern Spain)

Ellos los esperan They are waiting for them (male persons

which can include female persons and used in southern Spain and all Spanish America) (also used everywhere for

masculine objects, e.g trenes= trains)

Ellos los esperan They are waiting for you (male persons,

which can include female persons, whom the speaker may or may not know well, in all Spanish America)

Ellos las esperan They are waiting for them (female persons

or feminine objects)

Ellos las esperan They are waiting for you (female persons

whom the speaker does not know well in southern Spain, and knows or does not know well in all Spanish America)

1.3 Personal pronoun as indirect object

The following personal pronouns as indirect objects are all in common use:

Ella me ense˜na el libro She shows the book to me

Ella te ense˜na el libro She shows the book to you (singular)

Ella le ense˜na el libro She shows the book to him/her/you

(singular)

Ella nos ense˜na el libro She shows the book to us

Ella os ense˜na el libro She shows the book to you (plural)

Ella les ense˜na el libro She shows the book to them/you (plural)

You will notice that le, as an indirect object, covers (to / for) him, her and the non-familiar form for you Os is used as the familiar plural form for you It is not used in Spanish America It is replaced by les The one felicitous result in these indirect forms is that

they are much simpler than the direct forms At least, no room for complaint here, compared to1.2immediately above

i Pronouns used after prepositions are as follows:

para m´ı, para ti, para ´el, para ella, para ello, para Ud., para s´ı, para nosotros/as, para vosotros/as, para Uds., para ellos, para ellas (but see level2.3)

ii These pronouns are used after a range of prepositions such as a, ante, contra, de,

dentro, hacia, por, sin, tras (see unit23 on prepositions for the full range)

Examples

Hablan de m´ı They speak of me

Lo hago por ti I do it for you

Voy por ´el I am going (to get) him

Se dirige hacia ella He makes his way towards her

Puedes ir sin m´ı You can go without me

El detective va tras ella The detective goes behind her

When used with con (with), the pronoun is modified and is attached to con in the

following three cases:

¿Quieres ir conmigo? Do you want to go with me?

Voy contigo I am going with you

Mi hermana est´a enfadada consigo My sister is angry with herself

Exercises Level 1

i Replace the noun by a pronoun as in the example

Compro el peri´odico> Lo compro

a Hago el ejercicio d Cierro el libro

b Limpio el coche e Compro el boleto (M) / el billete

c Barren el patio f Venden el sill´on

g Oyen el ruido i Rompo el vaso

h Tocamos el piano j Bebo el caf´e

ii Replace the noun by a pronoun as in the example

Canto una canci´on> La canto

iii Replace the noun by a pronoun as in the example

Ella barre las habitaciones> Las barre

a Nosotros abrimos las ventanas f ¿Comes t´u chocolates?

b Uds lavan (M) los platos g Yo prefiero los caballos

c Ellos friegan los cacharros h Ellas traen las llaves

d Ellas arreglan las rec´amaras (M) i Nosotras necesitamos los platos

e T´u aprendes las lecciones j Uds compran los sarapes (M)

iv Answer the questions as in the example

¿Por qu´e no compras un peri´odico?> Lo compro

a ¿Por qu´e no vendes la casa?

b ¿Por qu´e no pagas las facturas?

c ¿Por qu´e no preparas las arvejas (M) / los guisantes? (peas)

d ¿Por qu´e no comes la cena?

e ¿Por qu´e no estudias las novelas?

f ¿Por qu´e no visitas la ciudad?

g ¿Por qu´e no gastas el dinero?

h ¿Por qu´e no escribes el ejercicio?

i ¿Por qu´e no aceptan los regalos?

j ¿Por qu´e no aprenden los idiomas?

v Replace the indirect object (noun) by a pronoun, as in the example

(Bear in mind that, in this exercise, a Spanish speaker prefers to repeat the indirect object

as a pronoun before the verb, as in the example See Level2.2 In this sense, you have a very artificial exercise here.)

(Le) doy el libro al chico> Le doy el libro

a Ense ˜no el carro (M) al amigo

b Da el regalo a la madre

c Llevan el paquete a los estudiantes

d Muestra la p´agina a la compa ˜nera

e Trae los platos al padre

f Compran las tazas a las madres

vi Answer the questions as in the example

¿Lo haces para m´ı?> Lo hago para ti

a ¿Lo compras para ´el? c ¿Las arreglan sin ti?

b ¿Lo venden por m´ı? d ¿La terminas conmigo?

e ¿Los acaba con ellos? i ¿Las venden por nosotras?

f ¿ Lo haces sin m´ı? j ¿Va por m´ı?

g ¿Hablan de m´ı? k ¿Est´a enfrente de ellos?

h ¿Los compran por ellas? l ¿Se sienta encima de vosotros?

(Wow! That’s painful! )

vii Paired activity

Objective – To use the pronouns lo/le/la and los/les/las before the verb

Method – A makes up a simple sentence with a subject, a verb and a noun, or nouns, as

object B converts the noun into a pronoun and puts it before the verb If you are smart, you can change the verb ending as well

Examples

A: (Yo) Abro la puerta

B: (T´u) La abres

A: Cierras el libro

B: Lo cierro

A: Borro el pizarr´on

B: Lo borras

A: Hacemos las tareas

B: Las hacen

Use verbs like: leer, hacer, cerrar, abrir, barrer (to sweep), coser (to sew), dar, preferir,

tocar, limpiar, ver, aprender, llevar, querer, comprar, vender

Level 2

2.1 Order of pronouns (when there are more than one) (Orden de los pronombres

[cuando hay m ´as de uno])

2.2 Redundant pronouns (Pronombres redundantes)

2.3 Further remarks on disjunctive pronouns (M ´as comentarios a pronombres

disyuntivos)

2.4 Further remarks on second person pronouns (singular and plural) (M ´as

comentarios a los pronombres de segunda persona – singular y plural )

i The most common order is as follows:

le les

se te me lo

os nos la

los las

The most important feature in this list is that le and les become se when combined with

another pronoun in this group

Nos los mandaron el a˜no pasado They sent them to us last year

Me lo comunic´o en seguida She communicated it to me immediately

Se lo dije ayer I told her/him/them/you yesterday

Se me escapa la fecha The date escapes me

Note that in the first example the pronoun lo is necessary, as also in, for example: Se lo

pregunt´e ayer= I asked him/her/you/them yesterday (about it)

ii Pronouns precede all finite verbs except the affirmative imperative where the

pronoun is attached to the end of the verb Note that in the examples of pronouns attached to the verb a written accent is placed over the appropriate vowel to retain the stress:

¿Me entiendes? Do you understand me?

La escribir´e esta tarde I’ll write it this afternoon

¡No me digas! You don’t say!

¡No la escribas! Don’t write it!

But:

¡Escr´ıbela! Write it!

¡Escr´ıbesela! Write it to her!

¡M ´andasela! Send it to him/her!

¡D ´amelos! Give them to me!

iii Pronouns are attached to the infinitive and the present participle, but never to the

past participle, as happens in Italian:

vi´endolo/la seeing it/him/her/you

al abrirla on opening it

para entenderlo/le to understand him/it

iv Pronouns may also precede an auxiliary verb, as well as being attached to the

infinitive Notice the written accent in the second example of all the five cases Why

is this?

Te lo voy a explicar / Voy a explic ´artelo I am going to explain it to you

Lo sigui´o leyendo / Sigui´o ley´endolo She continued to read it

Los suelen traer / Suelen traerlos por la tarde They usually bring them in the

afternoon

No te las puedo dar / No puedo d ´artelas I can’t give them to you

Se los quiero mandar / Quiero mand ´arselos hoy I want to send them to him/her/them/

you today

2.2 Redundant pronouns

i Even when an object is expressed by a noun or a disjunctive pronoun, a pronoun is

needed in Spanish in the following cases

a When a direct or indirect object is placed before the verb:

A Juan no le gust´o la comida John didn’t like the meal

A m´ı me encanta la ´opera I love opera

A ella le interesa el Siglo de Oro She is interested in the Golden Age

ii Very often, when an indirect object is a person or animal As in the above cases, the

repetitious nature of the pronoun may seem strange, and even unnecessary, but it is

a strong feature of the Spanish language:

Le di el collar a la chica I gave the necklace to the girl

Le rob´o el coche al hombre He stole the car from the man

Le dio el hueso al perrito She gave the bone to the dog

iii When emphasis is needed, repetition also occurs:

Se lo di a ella, no a ´el I gave it to her, not to him

Te llamaron a ti (y no a tu hermano) They called you (and not your brother)

D´asela a ella Give it to her

i After a preposition, choice between yo (subject), m´ı (object), t ´u (subject) and ti (object) varies As we have seen, the object form is used in most cases (para mi, detr ´as

de ti) but the subject form occurs after como (as, like), salvo (save), excepto (except) and seg ´un (according to) (como yo/t ´u, seg ´un yo/t ´u).

ii There is a choice when two pronouns follow a preposition The subject form tends to

be used in these cases although the preposition may be repeated.

seg´un t´u y yo according to you and me

para ella y yo for her and me

delante de ti y yo before you and me

seg´un t´u y seg´un yo according to you and me

detr´as de ella y detr´as de m´ı behind her and (behind) me

(singular and plural)

The traditional labels ‘familiar’ and ‘polite’ do not adequately capture the political and social circumstances in which pronouns are used today Since the death of Franco and

the beginning of the democratization process, t ´u and vosotros/as have ousted Ud and Uds to a very large extent, except in very formal circumstances It is unthinkable to use anything but t ´u and vosotros (not vosotros in M) in the following circumstances:

a addressing children and animals, God

b among relatives, friends of whatever age, workmates, soldiers of the same rank (but

not across the ranks), colleagues in the same profession.

However, you may come across in some country areas and small towns of Mexico the

use of Ud(s) by children when addressing their parents This usage is fading and need

not trouble you Just recognize it, and let the author know if you ever hear it!

T ´u is always used in the sense of one, or you (general).

It is normal to use t ´u and vosotros (vosotros not in M) in the following

circumstances:

a among young people (i.e students), whatever the circumstances

b among people of different ages in almost any informal situation, as at a party

c addressing priests

d wherever it is desirable to establish a friendly atmosphere, even in semi-formal situations as in a bank, restaurant, shop

e in public speeches, especially politicians (and particularly on the left) to their

audiences

f in advertisements where someone is trying to sell you something (this is standard procedure now, and a cunning psychological device?)

g when a person addresses a stranger who is indulging in an activity the person disapproves of If someone touches a car, for example, possibly with some evil

intention, you could certainly hear the owner call out: ¡Oye! T´u de la chaqueta /

chamarra (M), ¿Qu´e haces all´ı? (You with that jacket, what are you doing?) or ¡Qu´ıtate de

all´ı! (Clear off ! / Beat it!) This is a practice you should not imitate in your early

incursions into Spanish-speaking countries

It is not going too far to say that Ud and (in Spain) Uds are used only:

a in very formal, public situations (a ceremony, for example)

b when writing to strangers (booking a hotel room for example)

c to old people not known to the speaker

d wherever it is desired to show respect

Compared to usage of tu and vous in France where there was a temporary flowering of the tu form following the social upheavals of 1968, which has now withered away, the

t ´u and vosotros/as forms have taken on a new vigor.

Most of the foregoing comments on Uds as used in Spain do not of course apply to the Spanish American countries where vosotros/as no longer obtains.

A word of caution

When visiting a Spanish-speaking country in your early days, you should not

automati-cally embark on the t ´u form, when a person uses t ´u to you and is much older Just wait

and see how the conversation or relationship unfolds

Examples with t ´u and vosotros/as

El pueblo espa˜nol os recibe satisfecho y consciente de la alta significaci´on que este acto encierra

(Speech of King Juan Carlos to visiting diplomats)

¿Has probado el nuevo turbo? ¡C´omprate un Chevrolet! (Have you tried the new turbo? Buy a

Chevrolet!)

Cuando pases por la biblioteca ¿me recoges los libros? When you go to the library, could you

collect my books?

O Dios, ay´udame a aprobar todos mis ex´amenes O Lord, help me to get through all my

exams

Oiga, Se˜nor, ¿sabe d´onde est´a el Paseo de la Castellana? Excuse me, do you know where the

is?

A note on vos

In a large part of South America – Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay and the area which

goes from Chiapas in southern Mexico to Colombia – although here it is sporadic, vos

is used instead of t ´u It can exist side by side with t ´u in Colombia (in and around Cali for instance), Ecuador and Chile The corresponding verb forms are: tom ´as (you take),

com´es (you eat), viv´ıs (you live), hac´es (you do) In some parts of Central America,

Mexico and elsewhere, it is considered uncultured Some Mexicans, for example, have

the obscure idea that vos is some deformed version of vosotros Such an attitude is not

the case in Argentina You will certainly come across it if you study Argentinian literature and civilization, so you should be aware of its existence

In this context should be mentioned another colorful lingering feature of Spanish of

bygone eras Vuestra Merced+ verb in the third person (Your grace) is still used in

parts of Colombia Interestingly enough, Vuestra merced derives from Old Castilian which finally leads to Usted/Ud.

Exercises Level 2

i Cambia el orden de las palabras, reemplazando el nombre por un pronombre como

en el ejemplo

Me da un libro> Me lo da

b Le dio una m´aquina fotogr´afica g Le he dado el regalo

c Me ense ˜naron su nuevo auto (M) h Le ped´ı un favor

e Te regres´e (M) el libro ayer j Les sugiri´o un paseo

ii Cambia la posici ´on / ubicaci ´on (M) del pronombre como en el ejemplo

Me van a visitar> Van a visitarme

iii Cambia en afirmativo el orden negativo como en el ejemplo

¡No lo hagas!> Hazlo

a ¡No lo mandes!

b ¡No lo escribas!

c ¡No se las escriban!

d ¡No me lo des!

e ¡No se los devuelvas!