Spanish Pronoun Position: Where Object and Reflexive Pronouns Go

Learn where Spanish object pronouns and reflexive pronouns go in a sentence. This guide explains pronoun position before conjugated verbs, attached to infinitives, gerunds and affirmative commands, before negative commands, and in double-pronoun combinations such as se lo, me lo and te la.

Spanish pronoun position with me te lo la le se nos before verbs and attached to infinitives gerunds and commands
Spanish pronouns usually go before conjugated verbs, but attach to infinitives, gerunds and affirmative commands.

Why Spanish pronoun position matters

Pronoun position is essential because Spanish object pronouns are short clitic pronouns. They do not behave like full nouns. You cannot usually place them freely. Compare Veo a Ana with La veo, or Quiero ver a Ana with Quiero verla. The position of the pronoun depends on the verb form and on whether the sentence is affirmative, negative, simple or compound.

How to use this page

Use this page after learning direct object pronouns, indirect object pronouns and reflexive pronouns. First learn the basic placement rule, then study infinitives, gerunds, commands and double pronoun order.

Identify the verb form.
A conjugated verb takes pronouns before it: Lo veo. Infinitives and gerunds can take attached pronouns: verlo, viéndolo.
Check whether the sentence is a command.
Affirmative commands attach pronouns: Dímelo. Negative commands place pronouns before the verb: No me lo digas.
Order two pronouns correctly.
Put indirect or reflexive pronouns before direct object pronouns: me lo, te la, se los.

The core rule: before or attached

Before conjugated verbs

With one conjugated verb, the pronoun normally comes before the verb.

Lo veo. · Le escribo. · Me levanto.

Attached to non-finite forms

Pronouns can attach to infinitives and gerunds.

verlo · escribirle · levantándome

Commands depend on polarity

Affirmative commands attach pronouns. Negative commands place them before the verb.

Dímelo. · No me lo digas.

Spanish pronoun position at a glance

The position depends mainly on the verb form.

Verb form Pronoun position Example English meaning Grammar note
Conjugated verb Before the verb Lo veo. I see it / him. Most basic rule.
Compound tense Before the auxiliary Lo he visto. I have seen it / him. Pronoun goes before haber.
Infinitive Attached or before conjugated verb Quiero verlo. / Lo quiero ver. I want to see it / him. Both positions are possible in many verb phrases.
Gerund Attached or before conjugated verb Estoy viéndolo. / Lo estoy viendo. I am seeing it / him. Attached gerunds often need a written accent.
Affirmative command Attached to the command Dímelo. Tell it to me. Often needs an accent mark.
Negative command Before the verb No me lo digas. Do not tell it to me. Pronouns do not attach to negative commands.
Memory line: before conjugated verbs, attached to infinitives, gerunds and affirmative commands.

Pronouns before conjugated verbs

With a simple conjugated verb, Spanish object and reflexive pronouns normally go before the verb.

Pronoun type Spanish example English meaning Pronoun
Direct object Lo veo. I see it / him. lo
Direct object La conozco. I know her / it. la
Indirect object Le escribo. I write to him/her/you. le
Reflexive Me levanto. I get up. me
Double pronoun Me lo dice. He/she tells it to me. me lo

Learner rule: do not put Spanish clitic pronouns after a normal conjugated verb. Say Lo veo, not Veo lo.

Pronouns in compound tenses

In compound tenses with haber, the pronoun goes before the auxiliary verb. It does not go between haber and the past participle.

Correct Incorrect English meaning Rule
Lo he visto. He lo visto. I have seen it / him. Pronoun before haber.
La hemos comprado. Hemos la comprado. We have bought it. Pronoun before auxiliary.
Me he levantado. He me levantado. I have gotten up. Reflexive pronoun before haber.
Se lo he dicho. He se lo dicho. I have told it to him/her/them. Double pronoun before auxiliary.

Pronouns with infinitives

With infinitives, pronouns can attach to the end of the infinitive. In many verb phrases, the pronoun can also go before the conjugated verb.

Before conjugated verb Attached to infinitive English meaning Pronoun type
Lo quiero ver. Quiero verlo. I want to see it / him. Direct object.
Le voy a escribir. Voy a escribirle. I am going to write to him/her. Indirect object.
Me quiero levantar. Quiero levantarme. I want to get up. Reflexive.
Se lo voy a dar. Voy a dárselo. I am going to give it to him/her/them. Double pronoun.

Learn infinitive forms here: Spanish Infinitive.

Pronouns with gerunds

With gerunds, pronouns can attach to the gerund or appear before the conjugated verb. When attached, the gerund often needs a written accent to keep the original stress.

Before conjugated verb Attached to gerund English meaning Accent note
Lo estoy viendo. Estoy viéndolo. I am seeing it / him. viéndolo takes an accent.
Le estoy escribiendo. Estoy escribiéndole. I am writing to him/her. escribiéndole takes an accent.
Me estoy levantando. Estoy levantándome. I am getting up. levantándome takes an accent.
Se lo estoy diciendo. Estoy diciéndoselo. I am telling it to him/her/them. diciéndoselo takes an accent.

Learn gerund forms here: Spanish Gerund.

Pronouns with commands

Commands are the most important exception for learners. In affirmative commands, pronouns attach to the command. In negative commands, pronouns go before the verb.

Verb Affirmative command Negative command English meaning
decir + me + lo Dímelo. No me lo digas. Tell it to me. / Do not tell it to me.
dar + se + lo Dáselo. No se lo des. Give it to him/her/them. / Do not give it to him/her/them.
levantar + te Levántate. No te levantes. Get up. / Do not get up.
comprar + la Cómprala. No la compres. Buy it. / Do not buy it.

Learn commands here: Spanish Imperative.

Position and order with two pronouns

When two Spanish object pronouns appear together, the indirect object or reflexive pronoun comes first. The direct object pronoun comes second.

Order Spanish example English meaning Explanation
me + lo Me lo dice. He/she tells it to me. me before lo.
te + la Te la compro. I buy it for you. te before la.
nos + los Nos los mandan. They send them to us. nos before los.
se + lo Se lo doy. I give it to him/her/them. le/les becomes se before lo.

Practical order: me/te/se/nos/os/se + lo/la/los/las.

Why le lo becomes se lo

Spanish does not say le lo, le la, les los or les las. Instead, le and les become se before lo, la, los or las.

Underlying meaning Correct Spanish Incorrect form English meaning
le + lo Se lo doy. Le lo doy. I give it to him/her.
le + la Se la mando. Le la mando. I send it to him/her.
les + los Se los explico. Les los explico. I explain them to them.
les + las Se las doy. Les las doy. I give them to them.

This se is not reflexive. It replaces le or les for sound and structure.

Pronoun position with negation

In negative statements, the negative word normally comes before the pronoun and the pronoun comes before the conjugated verb.

Affirmative Negative English meaning Rule
Lo veo. No lo veo. I do not see it / him. no + pronoun + verb
Le escribo. No le escribo. I do not write to him/her. Pronoun remains before the verb.
Me levanto. No me levanto. I do not get up. Reflexive pronoun before verb.
Se lo digo. No se lo digo. I do not tell it to him/her/them. Double pronoun stays together.

Learn negation here: Spanish Negation.

Pronoun position and object pronoun doubling

In object pronoun doubling, the short pronoun still follows normal placement rules. The full object can appear as an a-phrase, but the pronoun position depends on the verb form.

Structure Example Pronoun position Meaning
Indirect object doubling Le escribí a Ana. le before conjugated verb. I wrote to Ana.
Fronted direct object A Juan lo vi ayer. lo before conjugated verb. I saw Juan yesterday.
Gustar-type verb A mí me gusta. me before conjugated verb. I like it.
Infinitive with doubling Voy a escribirle a Ana. le attached to infinitive. I am going to write to Ana.

Learn more here: Object Pronoun Doubling in Spanish.

Accent marks with attached pronouns

When pronouns attach to gerunds or affirmative commands, Spanish often adds an accent mark to preserve the original stress.

Base form With attached pronoun English meaning Accent note
viendo viéndolo seeing it / him Accent keeps stress on vien.
lavando lavándome washing myself Accent keeps stress on ván.
di dímelo tell it to me Accent keeps command stress.
compra cómpralo buy it Accent keeps stress on com.

When to use each pronoun position

Simple verb

Use pronoun before the verb

Use this with one conjugated verb.

Lo veo. · Me levanto. · Le escribo.

Infinitive or gerund

Use either position in many verb phrases

Place the pronoun before the conjugated verb or attach it to the infinitive or gerund.

Lo quiero ver. · Quiero verlo.

Commands

Attach in affirmative commands, separate in negative commands

Command polarity changes pronoun position.

Dímelo. · No me lo digas.

Related grammar topics

Reflexive use

Reflexive Pronouns

Practise me levanto, te duchas, se llama and attached reflexive forms.

Commands

Spanish Imperative

Learn why dímelo and no me lo digas use different pronoun positions.

Sentence building

Sentence Structures

Use pronouns correctly in statements, questions, negation and emphasis structures.

Typical mistakes with Spanish pronoun position

  • Putting pronouns after normal conjugated verbs: say Lo veo, not Veo lo.
  • Putting pronouns between haber and the participle: say Lo he visto, not He lo visto.
  • Forgetting that infinitives allow attachment: Quiero verlo is correct.
  • Forgetting accent marks with attached gerunds or commands: viéndolo, dímelo, levántate.
  • Attaching pronouns to negative commands: say No me lo digas, not No dímelo.
  • Using le lo or les la: use se lo, se la, se los, se las.

Where to go next

After pronoun position, continue with direct object pronouns, indirect object pronouns and reflexive pronouns. These topics explain which pronoun to choose before deciding where it goes.

Direct Object Pronouns
Learn lo, la, los and las. Indirect Object Pronouns
Learn me, te, le, nos, os and les. Reflexive Pronouns
Learn me, te, se, nos, os and reflexive placement.

Want personal guidance?

If Spanish pronoun position feels confusing, individual guidance can help you practise lo veo, quiero verlo, estoy viéndolo, dímelo, no me lo digas and se lo doy in real sentences.

Private Spanish Lessons Spanish Tutoring Intensive Course

FAQ: Spanish pronoun position

Where do object pronouns go in Spanish?

Spanish object pronouns usually go before a conjugated verb: Lo veo, Le escribo. They can attach to infinitives, gerunds and affirmative commands: verlo, viéndolo, dímelo.

Can Spanish pronouns attach to infinitives?

Yes. Pronouns can attach to infinitives: quiero verlo, voy a escribirle, quiero levantarme.

Can Spanish pronouns attach to gerunds?

Yes. Pronouns can attach to gerunds: estoy viéndolo, estoy escribiéndole, estoy levantándome. These forms often need written accents.

Where do pronouns go with Spanish commands?

With affirmative commands, pronouns attach to the command: Dímelo. With negative commands, pronouns go before the verb: No me lo digas.

What is the order of two Spanish object pronouns?

The indirect or reflexive pronoun comes first, and the direct object pronoun comes second: me lo, te la, nos los, se las.

Why does le lo become se lo?

Spanish does not use combinations such as le lo or les la. Le and les become se before lo, la, los or las: se lo doy.

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