Posición de pronombres

In Spanish, pronouns are "magnetic." They love to be close to the verb. In English, we usually put them after the verb. We say "I see it." In Spanish, the default is the opposite. You say Lo veo. The pronoun comes first. However, Spanish has a few special verb forms. These forms are like glue. They allow the pronoun to attach to the very end. These are infinitives, gerunds, and affirmative commands. It's like the pronoun becomes part of the word itself. You end up with words like comprarlo or diciéndome. When you have two verbs together, you get a choice. You can put the pronoun at the very beginning. Or you can attach it to the very end. Just never, ever put it in the middle. That's the only real "danger zone" in this grammar point.

1. 1For most conjugated verbs, place the pronoun before the verb. Example: Te quiero.
2. 2If the verb is an infinitive (ends in -ar, -er, -ir), attach it to the end. Example: Quiero verte.
3. 3If the verb is a gerund (ends in -ando, -iendo), attach it to the end. Example: Estoy buscándolo.
4. 4For affirmative commands, always attach to the end. Example: ¡Hazlo!.
5. 5For negative commands, always place before the verb. Example: No lo hagas.
6. 6When using two pronouns, follow the "RID" rule: Reflexive, then Indirect, then Direct. Example: Me lo das.
7. 7If you have le or les followed by lo, la, los, or las, change the first one to se. Example: Se lo doy (not le lo doy).

Use this every single day. Seriously. You can't avoid it. Use it when ordering food: ¿Me lo trae, por favor?. Use it when talking about your day: Me levanté a las ocho. It's essential for describing actions where someone receives something. If you're in a job interview, proper pronoun placement shows high proficiency. It makes your speech flow smoothly without repetitive nouns. Instead of saying "I bought the book and read the book," you say Compré el libro y lo leí. It's the secret sauce to sounding like a local. Think of it as a shortcut. It saves time and energy. Plus, it sounds much more elegant. It's like wearing a tailored suit versus a baggy tracksuit. Both cover you, but one looks much better.

Don't put pronouns in the middle of a verb phrase. If you say Quiero lo ver, you'll get some confused looks. It's either Lo quiero ver or Quiero verte. Also, don't use them if the noun is already clear and you want to emphasize it. Spanish often drops pronouns if they aren't needed. But once you use one, follow the placement rules strictly. Don't attach pronouns to conjugated verbs that aren't commands. Comprolo is a big no-no. It must be Lo compro. Avoid overcomplicating things with too many pronouns at once. While Me se lo llevaron is grammatically possible, it's a tongue twister for everyone. Keep it simple until you are comfortable. Even a master chef doesn't start with a ten-course meal.

The biggest trap is the le lo situation. It sounds like a baby babbling. Spanish speakers hate the sound of it. So, they change le to se. Remember: you can't "le lo" in Spanish! Another mistake is forgetting the accent mark. When you attach pronouns to gerunds or long commands, the stress moves. You need an accent to keep the sound the same. For example, comprando becomes comprándolo. If you forget the accent, the word sounds weirdly balanced. Like a table with one short leg. Also, watch out for negative commands. Many people want to attach the pronoun because the affirmative command does. But the negative command says "Nope, stay in front." It's ¡Cómelo! but No lo comas. It's like a grammar mood swing.

English is very rigid. Pronouns almost always follow the verb. "Give it to me." Spanish is much more flexible and "front-heavy." Italian and French do similar things, but their rules for double pronouns differ. In Spanish, the order of multiple pronouns is fixed. It doesn't matter if the sentence is a question or a statement. In English, we might say "I am giving it to you." In Spanish, that's Te lo estoy dando. Notice how the "you" (te) comes before the "it" (lo). English speakers often try to translate the word order literally. This leads to "Lo doy a ti," which is okay but clunky. Using Te lo doy is the hallmark of a B1 learner moving toward fluency. It’s the difference between walking and gliding.