# 18. Indirect Object Pronouns

> Source: [video link](https://youtube.com/watch?v=YHDZSHCt1DE&t=4158s)

An indirect object pronoun (IOP) marks **to whom** or **for whom** the action is done. When a sentence has two objects, the first (the thing) is the direct object and the second (the recipient) is the indirect object. In Spanish IOPs follow the same placement rules as DOPs: before the conjugated verb, or attached to an infinitive/gerund.

## Key Rules
- IOPs answer "to whom?" or "for whom?".
- Forms: **me, te, le, nos, os, les**.
- **le** and **les** are ambiguous (him / her / you-formal / a name) so you typically clarify with **a + prepositional pronoun**: *a él, a ella, a usted, a Juan, a ellos, a ellas*.
- Placement is identical to DOPs: before conjugated verb, or attached to infinitive/gerund (with written accent on gerund).
- The clarifying **a + pronoun** can go at the start or end of the sentence for emphasis.

## Conjugation / Pattern Tables

### Indirect Object Pronouns

| English | Singular | English | Plural |
|---|---|---|---|
| (to/for) me | me | (to/for) us | nos |
| (to/for) you | te | (to/for) y'all | os |
| (to/for) him/her/you (Ud.) | le | (to/for) them / you (Uds.) | les |

### Clarification (a + prepositional pronoun)

| Pronoun | Clarifies |
|---|---|
| a mí | me |
| a ti | you |
| a él / a ella / a usted / a Juan | him / her / you / Juan |
| a nosotros/as | us |
| a vosotros/as | y'all |
| a ellos / a ellas / a ustedes | them / you |

## Examples

| Spanish | English |
|---------|---------|
| Yo te compro un coche. | I buy you a car. (I buy a car for you.) |
| A él, ella le compra un coche. / Ella le compra un coche a él. | She buys him a car. |
| Ella le compra un coche a Juan. | She buys Juan a car. |
| Ella le compra un coche a Emma. | She buys Emma a car. |
| Él te quiere comprar un libro. / Él quiere comprarte un libro. | He wants to buy you a book. |
| Ella nos puede dar los papeles. / Ella puede darnos los papeles. | She can give us the papers. |
| Yo les enseño los conceptos. | I teach them the concepts. |
| Tú le escribes una carta a ella. | You write her a letter. |
| Yo les estoy leyendo el libro. / Yo estoy leyéndoles el libro. | I am reading the book to them. |
| Nosotros te estamos diciendo la verdad. / Nosotros estamos diciéndote la verdad. | We are telling you the truth. |
| Ella le está dando el dinero a él. / Ella está dándole el dinero a él. | She is giving him the money. |

## Notes & Gotchas
- **le / les** are ambiguous; the *a + pronoun/name* phrase is often required to disambiguate.
- The clarifier is grammatically redundant when the recipient is already named, but Spanish still uses **le/les** alongside it: *Le doy el libro a Juan* (literally "I give-him the book to Juan").
- When attaching the pronoun to a gerund, add a written accent to preserve the original stressed syllable: *dándole, leyéndoles*.
- IOPs are critical for verbs like **gustar, encantar, doler, faltar, parecer** (see chapter 20).
