Double object pronouns: Grammar guide

If we were to replace the direct and indirect objects with their pronouns, they would look like this:

• 1. ¿Me puedes traer un café?
  • 1. ¿Me puedes traerlo?
  • or ¿Puedes traérmelo? ¹
  • or ¿Me lo puedes traer?
  
  
  
• 2. (A mi mamá) le regalé una camisa rosada.
  • (A mi mamá)² se la regalé.
  
  
  
• 3. Voy a escribir una carta a mi padre.
  • Voy a escribírsela.³
  • Se la voy a escribir. ⁴

  Notes:

  1. Notice that when we start tacking on syllables, the natural accent changes. But since we don't want to change the way the word is said, we have to add a written accent to maintain the stress on the correct syllable. This is important for double object pronouns because simply adding one pronoun won't change the pronunciation of an infinitive.

  If we were to add se and lo to the infinitive pedir, the normal stress would shift to pedirselo. In order to put the stress back on the i above, we have to write the accent, making the word pedírselo.

  2.You'll note that the phrase a mi mamá is in parentheses. If we replace the phrase a mi mamá with le, we don't have to repeat a mi mamá. But if we're being thorough, and want to make sure we're clear about identifying the person we're talking about, we can certainly repeat the phrase, even if we've replaced it with a pronoun.

  3. See note 1

  4. See note 2. This could be written as Se la voy a escribir a mi padre.