Lo Tengo

Lo Tengo

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How to use lo, la, los and las in Spanish (direct object pronouns)

Answer '¿lo tienes?' like a local — swap nouns for pronouns, out loud.

GRAMMAR PACK · 5 LESSONS · A2

Lo, la, los, las replace a noun you've already mentioned, and they match its gender and number: ¿el libro? Lo tengo aquí; ¿las llaves? Las dejé en la mesa. The pronoun goes before a conjugated verblo tengo, no la conozco — never after. With an infinitive or gerund you get two equally correct options: voy a comprarlo = lo voy a comprar. And lo can stand for a whole idea, not just a masculine noun — that's the lo in lo siento and ya lo sé.

Below: the question-and-answer pairs these pronouns power, the placement slips that sound off, and a way to practise them in live back-and-forth — no sentence-transformation worksheets.

Say this

The phrases that carry the conversation

Pronouns lo, la, los, las

  • ¿El libro? Lo tengo aquí.The book? I have it here.
  • ¿La carta? La escribí ayer.The letter? I wrote it yesterday.
  • ¿Los zapatos? Los compré en oferta.The shoes? I bought them on sale.
  • ¿Las llaves? Las dejé en la mesa.The keys? I left them on the table.

Placement before conjugated verbs

  • Lo veo todos los días.I see him every day.
  • No la conozco.I don't know her.
  • ¿Lo quieres?Do you want it?
  • Ya lo sé.I already know it.

Placement with infinitives and gerunds

  • Voy a comprarlo mañana.I'm going to buy it tomorrow.
  • Lo voy a comprar mañana.I'm going to buy it tomorrow. (alternate)
  • Estoy leyéndolo ahora.I'm reading it now.
  • Lo estoy leyendo ahora.I'm reading it now. (alternate)

Regional Spanish

What locals actually say

Textbooks teach one word. Locals use several — pick your region's and stay consistent.

Watch out

Mistakes that mark you as a textbook speaker

  1. Using the wrong gender pronoun (lo for a feminine noun)Match the pronoun to the noun's gender — la mesa → la, el libro → lo. When in doubt, check the article.
  2. Placing the pronoun after a conjugated verb (tengo lo instead of lo tengo)Direct object pronouns always go BEFORE a conjugated verb, never after
  3. Forgetting the personal 'a' when the direct object is a personWhen the direct object is a specific person, add 'a' — Veo a María → La veo (not Veo María)

The part no drill site can do

No flashcards. You learn it by using it

Carla, &Be grammar teacher

Carla

Your grammar teacher for this pack

In the Lo Tengo lessons nothing gets transformed on paper — Carla just talks to you the way Spanish actually works, in question-and-answer. She asks if you have your passport, your keys, your phone, and you answer without repeating the noun: sí, lo tengolas dejé en la mesa. She hands you voy a comprar el libro and asks for both versions — voy a comprarlo, lo voy a comprar. Then the personal a: veo a María becomes la veo — out loud, until dropping the noun feels natural instead of daring.

Blank mid-sentence and nothing bad happens — she waits. That's the practice, without unnecessary judgement.

Finish the 5 lessons and Lo Tengo is yours — earned, not given.

Download on the App Store First 10 lessons free · 10-minute spoken lessons · your AI coaching team remembers you

Quick answers

Questions people ask

What are the direct object pronouns in Spanish?

Four: lo (masculine singular), la (feminine singular), los and las (plurals). Match the noun you're replacing — el libro → lo, las llaves → las. When in doubt, check the article.

Where does the pronoun go in a Spanish sentence?

Before a conjugated verb, always: lo veo todos los días, no la conozco, ¿lo quieres? Saying tengo lo instead of lo tengo is the classic word-order slip.

Is it 'voy a comprarlo' or 'lo voy a comprar'?

Both — and both are equally common. With infinitives and gerunds the pronoun can attach to the end or move before the helper verb: estoy leyéndolo = lo estoy leyendo. Pick whichever comes out first.

Why does Spanish say 'lo siento' and 'lo sé'?

Because lo can stand in for an abstract idea or the whole situation, not just a masculine noun. Lo siento ≈ I feel it (what happened); ya lo sé = I already know (that); lo entiendo todo = I understand it all.

When do I need the personal 'a' with these pronouns?

When the direct object is a specific person, the full sentence takes a: veo a María, ¿conoces a mi hermano? Once you swap in the pronoun the a disappears: la veo, sí, lo conozco.