4. Understanding direct and indirect object pronouns
When we talk about direct and indirect object pronouns in Spanish, we’re referring to the words that replace a noun or noun phrase in a sentence. Direct object pronouns are used to replace the subject, that is, the entity upon which the action of the verb falls. On the other hand, indirect object pronouns indicate to whom or for whom the action is being performed.
For example, in the sentence “¿Conoces a Juan?” (“Do you know Juan?”), the response “Sí, lo conozco” (“Yes, I know him”) uses the direct object pronoun to replace Juan. In contrast, the sentence “¿Envías el email a tu amiga?” (“Are you sending the email to your friend?”), is answered with “Sí, le envío el email” (“Yes, I’m sending her the email”), where the indirect object pronoun is used to refer to your friend.
If you’re having difficulties and don’t know which pronoun to use in a sentence with both direct and indirect objects, here is a really interesting article that will help you avoid falling into the famous “laísmo, leísmo, loísmo” and enable you to combine different types of pronouns.