Two Pronouns Together: se lo
A2–B1Pronouns 6 min
With two object pronouns, the indirect one comes first: me lo, te la, nos los. Le and les become se before lo / la / los / las: ¿El libro? Se lo doy a Ana. ¿Las llaves? Se las dejo a tus padres.
No information at the current level. This view starts at A2: choose A2 or a higher level.
No information at the current level. This view starts at A2: choose A2 or a higher level.
CheatsheetA2–B1
| Point | Rule | Example | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| B1Order | indirect object + direct object | ¿El dinero? Te lo doy mañana. | The money? I'll give it to you tomorrow. |
| se | le / les → se before lo / la / los / las | ¿Las llaves? Se las doy a Pedro. | The keys? I'm giving them to Pedro. |
| B1os | os comes first too: os lo, os las | ¿Las fotos? Os las mando hoy. | The photos? I'll send them to you today. |
| Clarity | a él / a ella / a ellos show who se is | Se lo digo a ella. | I'll tell her. |
| B1Position | both before a conjugated verb, side by side | No me lo dice. | He doesn't tell me. |
| B1Position | both attached to an infinitive or a gerund, or both before the phrase | Voy a dártelo = Te lo voy a dar | I'm going to give it to you. |
| B1Command | both attached to an affirmative command | Dámelo. | Give it to me. |
| B1Accent | the verb keeps its stress, so it takes a written accent | dártelo / dándoselo | to give it to you / giving it to him |
| Trap | le never stands before lo: it is always se lo | Se lo explico. | I'll explain it to him. |
OverviewA2
- A sentence can carry two object pronouns: the indirect one, to whom, and the direct one, what. ¿El libro? Se lo doy a Ana. — The book? I'm giving it to Ana.
- Each pronoun alone: Direct Object Pronouns and Indirect Object Pronouns.
Form: the pairsA2–B1
| Indirect object | lo / la | los / las |
|---|---|---|
| B1me | me lo / me la | me los / me las |
| B1te | te lo / te la | te los / te las |
| le | se lo / se la | se los / se las |
| B1nos | nos lo / nos la | nos los / nos las |
| B1os | os lo / os la | os los / os las |
| les | se lo / se la | se los / se las |
- B1The indirect pronoun always comes first: ¿Me lo prestas? — Will you lend it to me?
- le and les become se before lo / la / los / las: ¿El regalo? Se lo doy a mi madre. — The present? I'm giving it to my mother.
- se can stand for le or les, so a + person often follows to make it clear: Se lo digo a ella. / Se lo digo a ellos. — I'll tell her. / I'll tell them.
- B1Latin America: “I told them” is se lo dije in writing. Informal Latin American speech also marks the plural receiver on the second pronoun, and you will hear se los dije.
Where the pronouns goA2–B1
| Position | Example | English |
|---|---|---|
| B1Both before a conjugated verb, side by side | Te lo traigo mañana. | I'll bring it to you tomorrow. |
| no before both | No se lo digo. | I'm not telling him. |
| B1With an infinitive: both attached, or both before the phrase | Voy a dártelo = Te lo voy a dar | I'm going to give it to you. |
| B1With a gerund: both attached, or both before the phrase | Estoy explicándoselo = Se lo estoy explicando | I'm explaining it to him. |
| B1Both attached to an affirmative command | Dámelo. / Dígaselo a su hija. | Give it to me. / Tell your daughter. |
B1
- The two pronouns stay together: both before the verb, or both attached to it.
- A verb with two pronouns attached keeps its stress, so it takes a written accent: dártelo / dándoselo / dígamelo — to give it to you / giving it to him / tell it to me
Typical errorsA2–B1
| ✗ | ✓ | Rule |
|---|---|---|
| Le lo doy. | Se lo doy. | le becomes se before lo |
| B1Lo te doy. | Te lo doy. | the indirect pronoun comes first |
| B1Voy a te lo dar. | Voy a dártelo. | both pronouns join the infinitive, or both go before the phrase |
| B1Te voy a darlo. | Te lo voy a dar. | the two pronouns stay together |
| B1Damelo. | Dámelo. | the command keeps its stress: written accent |
| B1Lo doy a él. | Se lo doy a él. | “give it to him” takes both pronouns: se lo |