Posición de pron

In English, we usually put pronouns after the verb. We say "I love you." In Spanish, the pronoun is a bit more eager. Most of the time, it jumps right in front of the verb: Te amo. This is the "Default Setting" of Spanish grammar. If you have a normal, conjugated verb (like como, vives, or habla), the pronoun goes before it. No exceptions, no excuses. It is like a protective shield for the verb. However, Spanish loves to give you options when things get a bit more complex. When you have two verbs working together, like "I want to see it," you suddenly have two possible parking spots. You can put the pronoun before the first verb or attach it to the end of the second one. It is like choosing between the front seat or the back seat of a car—both get you to the same destination!

1. 1Identify your verb. Is it a single conjugated verb? Put the pronoun before it. Lo tengo (I have it).
2. 2Look for "Verb Teams." If you see an infinitive (ends in -ar, -er, -ir) or a gerund (ends in -ando, -iendo), you have a choice.
3. 3Option A: Put it before the helper verb. Lo quiero ver (I want to see it).
4. 4Option B: Glue it to the end of the main action. Quiero verlo.
5. 5Check for commands. If you are telling someone to do something (Affirmative), the pronoun must stick to the end. ¡Cómelo! (Eat it!).
6. 6If you are telling them not to do something (Negative), the pronoun stays in front. No lo comas (Don't eat it).
7. 7Apply the RID order. If you have multiple pronouns, they always follow this order: Reflexive, then Indirect, then Direct. Just remember "I need my RID card."

Use the "Before the Verb" position for 90% of your daily Spanish. Whether you are chatting about your day, in a job interview, or arguing about whose turn it is to do the dishes, this is your go-to move. Me llamas later is wrong, it should be Me llamas luego. Use the "Attached" position when you want to sound a bit more fluid with infinitives and gerunds. It feels very natural in spoken Spanish to say Estoy haciéndolo (I am doing it) instead of Lo estoy haciendo. Use the mandatory attached position for affirmative commands. If you are a parent or a boss, you will use this a lot: ¡Hazlo!, ¡Dime!, ¡Tráelo!. It is efficient and punchy. Think of it like a grammar traffic light: Green means go before the verb, but Red (Commands) means stop and attach!

Never, ever put a pronoun after a single conjugated verb that isn't a command. Saying Veo lo instead of Lo veo is like wearing your shoes on your hands—people will understand you, but it looks very strange. Also, don't get "attachment happy." You cannot attach a pronoun to a verb that is just a regular past tense or future tense. Comílo is a big no-no; it must be Lo comí. Finally, don't split the team. If you have Lo quiero ver, don't put anything between lo and quiero. They are best friends and need to stay together. It is a package deal, like chips and salsa. You wouldn't put a napkin between them, would you?

The "Lala" mistake is the classic boss-level challenge. In Spanish, we can't say Le lo. It sounds like a toddler singing. So, whenever le or les meets lo, la, los, or las, the first one changes to se. Se lo doy instead of Le lo doy. Another common slip-up is the "Accent Mystery." When you attach a pronoun to a gerund like comiendo, you add extra syllables. To keep the stress in the right place, you need an accent mark: comiéndolo. It is like adding a little hat to the letter to show it is important. Many learners also forget to move the pronoun back to the front for negative commands. ¡Dime! (Tell me) is correct, but ¡No dime! is a trap! It has to be No me digas.

In English, pronouns are like luggage you carry after the verb: "I see it," "I tell him." In Spanish, pronouns are more like a prefix or a suffix. They become part of the verb's identity. Compared to French, Spanish is actually a bit more flexible because of that choice we have with infinitives. In Italian, the rules are very similar, but Spanish is unique with its strict le to se change. If you have studied Latin, you might expect the pronoun to float anywhere in the sentence, but Spanish is much more disciplined. It follows a strict rhythm. If you can master the rhythm of Me lo das (You give it to me), you have captured the heartbeat of the language.