In English, the Direct Object is an object which receives the "direct" action of a verb. If I buy a book, the book is the direct object because it is what I buy - it is being bought. It is being directly acted upon by the verb.
In English the direct object follows the verb in an active voice sentence.
Let's take a look at an example:
| I steal the car. |
Now let's examine the components of the sentence.
| I | This is the subject of the sentence - the person in charge of the verb. |
| steal | This is the verb (and as a transitive verb, it transfers action to an object and so requires an object) |
| the car | this is the direct object (it receives the action of the verb): The car is what I steal. The car is what is being stolen. |
Now replace the Direct Object [the car] with a Direct Object Pronoun [it]:
| I steal it. |
"It" is a direct object pronoun ("it" refers to what was stolen - in this case, a car)
Why do we use a Direct Object Pronoun?
This relieves us from endlessly repeating the Direct Object itself:
I pick up the book. I look at the book and decide to buy the book.
vs.
I pick up the book. I look at it and decide to buy it.
Now let's look at the same sentence in Spanish:
| Yo robo el carro. |
Again, let's examine the components of the sentence.
| Yo | = the subject |
| robo | = transitive verb |
| el carro | = the direct object |
- Now we replace the Direct Object [un carro] with a Direct Object Pronoun [lo].
- We use lo because carro is masculine and singular. Lo = it (un carro) [See the chart below for all of the direct object pronouns.]
- * Yo robo [lo].
| Yo lo robo. |
- We also can put it directly in from of the conjugated verb when we have compound verbs: (Yo) lo voy a robar.
We can never place an object or object pronoun between the elements of compound verbs or verb phrases: *Voy a lo hacer nor *Tengo lo que hacer.
- We can attach it to the end of a present participle:
- Yo estoy robándolo. (present participle)
- OR we can attach it to the end of an infinitive:
- Yo voy a robarlo. (infinitive)
- Pronouns can also be attached to Affirmative commands- click here if you want information on commands and pronouns.
We put an accent on robando to preserve the pronunciation. If you aren't sure where to put the accent, cover up the direct object pronoun and say the participle naturally: "roBANdo ". The vowel in the stressed syllable is where you put the accent. This will be on the "A" for -Ar verbs and on the "E" for -Er and -Ir verbs.
The Direct Object pronouns:
| Yo | me | nos | Nosotros |
| Tu | te | os | Vosotros |
| Él, Usted (male) ["it" masculine] |
lo | los | Ellos, Ustedes ["those things" masculine] |
| Ella Usted (female) ["it" feminine] |
la | las | Ellas, Ustedes ["those things" feminine] |