Indirect object: le / les
le and les
By Fabling Editorial · How we design our guides
Use le and les for the person receiving something in Spanish. Learn when to repeat a named recipient and how to clarify who le refers to.
le and les
Le refers to one indirect recipient; les refers to several. A named recipient often appears too: Le doy el libro a Ana. Before lo, la, los, or las, both le and les become se.
Examples in context
Read the examples and compare their English meanings.
Use it in a conversation
Le can refer to him, her, or formal you; les refers to more than one recipient. Both Le di el regalo a Juan and Di el regalo a Juan are grammatical. Doubling is required in patterns such as A Juan le di el regalo and Le di el regalo a él. With verbs such as gustar, use the pronoun: A Juan le gusta el café.
Le mandé una carta a mi abuela.
I sent my grandmother a letter.
A mis vecinos les presto las herramientas.
I lend my neighbors the tools.
¿A quién le traes el café? A Luis.
Who are you bringing the coffee to? Luis.
Hear the pattern
At the art space. Listen to part 1 of A Coffee for the Painter, a short Spanish story with English translations and a reply to practice.
Common mix-ups
English speakers often treat the receiver as a direct object, but Spanish requires le for the person receiving.
I gave him or her the book.
Try a reply
Say or write your answer in Spanish before opening the example.
You are writing to your parents. Say: I send them a photo.
Show one possible answer
Les envío una foto.
Other wording can work too. Compare the verb form, agreement, and word order with the lesson. Then try a sentence about your own day.
Keep practicing
Related grammar
Grammar references
Practice Spanish grammar in context
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