Grammar Chapter 19: Pronouns

Los pronombres - Pronouns

• A pronoun replaces a noun in a sentence
• There are different types of pronouns in Spanish:
  • Subject pronouns (e.g., I, you, he, she, we, they)
  • Reflexive pronouns (e.g., myself, yourself, himself, herself, ourselves, yourselves, themselves)
  • Direct object pronouns (e.g., me, you, him, her, us, you, them)
  • Indirect object pronouns (e.g., to me, to you, to him, to her, to us, to you, to them)

Spanish Personal and Possessive Pronouns Summary

• Personal pronouns:
  • Subject: yo, tú, él, ella, nosotros, vosotros, ellos
  • Reflexive: me, te, se, nos, os, se
  • Direct object: me, te, lo/la, nos, os, los/las
  • Indirect object: me, te, le, nos, os, les
• Possessive pronouns:
  • Possessive adjectives: mío/a(s), tuyo/-a(s), suyo/-a(s), nuestro/-a(s), vuestro/-a(s), suyo/-a(s)

Usage and Position

• Subject pronouns are used as the subject of a verb
• Reflexive pronouns are used with reflexive verbs or for emphasis
• Direct object pronouns are used with verbs that take an object
• Indirect object pronouns are used with verbs that take two objects
• Possessive pronouns are used to show possession
• Pronouns usually come before the verb in a statement, but may come at the end in questions
• Reflexive pronouns come after the indirect object if both are present
• Possessive pronouns follow prepositions and cannot be split from them

Pronombres Relativos - Relative Pronouns

• Relative pronouns relate to a noun that has previously been mentioned
• They can introduce new information about a noun or combine two sentences that share a noun
• Types of relative pronouns:
  • Que (meaning who, whom, which, or that)
  • Quien/Quienes (meaning who or whom, referring to people)
  • El que/La que/Los que/Las que (meaning that which or the one(s) that)
  • Lo que (meaning what, referring to abstract concepts or general ideas)
  • Cuyo/Cuya/Cuyos/Cuyas (meaning whose, relating the owner to that which is owned)

Examples and Usage

• Que can be used to refer to people or things as the subject or object of a sentence
• Quien must be used when referring to people after a preposition
• El que/La que/Los que/Las que can be used after prepositions to refer to things
• Lo que is used when referring to abstract concepts or general ideas
• Cuyo/Cuya/Cuyos/Cuyas agree with the thing owned, not the owner

Learn about pronouns, including subject, reflexive, direct object, and indirect object pronouns in English and Spanish. Understand the different types of pronouns and how to use them.