It is very common in Spanish to attach object pronouns to some verb forms, in effect using them as suffixes. What can make these attached verb forms somewhat confusing for beginning Spanish students is that they seldom are listed separately in dictionaries, but with a slight bit of practice it does become clear how a verb and pronoun are being combined.
In some cases, attaching the pronoun to the verb is optional. Thus "Ella me hizo decirlo" (She made me say it) has the same meaning as "Ella me lo hizo decir." Although there are regional variations in terms of which sentence structure is preferred, either sentence will be understood everywhere Spanish is spoken.
Here are the most common circumstances where attached pronouns are used:
With infinitives: Object pronouns can almost always be attached to infinitives, and often they must be. Here are some examples:
•Quiero comprarlo en Madrid. I want to buy it in Madrid.
•Espero verte pronto. I hope to see you right away.
•Todo el mundo dice que Robin Hood robaba a los ricos para dárselo a los pobres. Everyone says Robin Hood robbed from the rich in order to give to the poor. (In this sentence, the lo portion presumably refers to dinero or some other masculine noun that isn't translated to English, or it could be the neuter pronoun.)
•Puedes escribírmela en la dirección siguiente. You can write to me at the following address. (The la portion presumably refers to carta, or letter, which is feminine.)
•El papa dijo que Dios desea vencernos con el amor. The pope said that God wants to conquer us with love.
•Trabajamos para traerles las últimas noticias. We're working to bring you the latest news.
Note how in some cases (such as with dárselo) an orthographic accent is used so the spelling matches the pronunciation.
In some cases, it is possible, but not required, to shift the object pronoun to the verb that comes before the infinitive. In the following examples, the two Spanish sentences have basically the same meaning:
•No puedo comprenderlo. No lo puedo comprender. I can't understand it.
•Voy a comprarte un regalo. Te voy a comprar un regalo. I'm going to buy you a gift.
•Tienes que leerlo con el programa Adobe Acrobat. Lo tienes que leer con el programa Adobe Acrobat. You have to read it with the Adobe Acrobat program.
However, the pronouns can't be shifted before the main verb in all circumstances, and the list of verbs where shifting is allowed is somewhat arbitrary. For the beginning student, attaching the pronoun to the infinitive is usually the safer choice.
With positive commands: Pronouns are attached to affirmative commands in the imperative mood. But they are not used with negative commands. For example, you can tell some to wake up by saying, "¡Despiértate!" But the opposite would be "No te despiertes." Some examples of attached pronouns with direct commands:
•Deme la mano. Give me your hand.
•No tienen mucha grasa. ¡Cómelos sin miedo! They don't have much fat. Don't be afraid to eat them!
•Corrígeme si me equivoco. Correct me if I make a mistake.
•Al estar suave, sáquelo del caldo y píquelo bien o muélalo en máquina.
When it is soft, take it from the broth and mince it well or grind it by machine.
With gerunds: Pronouns can be attached to gerunds in much the same way that they're attached to infinitives.
•Muchos han vaticinado la muerte del quechua, pero no es tan fácil matar una lengua con tantos millones hablándola. Many have predicted the death of Quechua, but it isn't so easy to kill a language with so many people speaking it.
•Puedes ahorrar comprándolo ahora. You can save by buying it now.
•La ex de mi esposo se pasa enviándome mensajes por Facebook. My husband's ex is going too far by sending me messages via Facebook.
•No creo que está haciéndolo. I can't believe she's doing it.
In some cases, particularly when the gerund is preceded by a form of estar, venir or andar, it is possible to place the pronoun before the auxiliary verb. Thus, in the final example above, it would also be possible to say, "No creo que lo está haciendo." In fact, with estar combinations it is much more common to place the pronoun before the verb phrase.
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