{
  "chapter_id": "17",
  "slug": "direct-object-pronouns",
  "title": "Direct Object Pronouns",
  "time_range_sec": [3806, 4158],
  "summary": "Direct object pronouns (me, te, lo, la, nos, os, los, las) replace the direct object noun and go before a conjugated verb or attach to an infinitive or gerund.",
  "suggested_grammar_note_id": "object-pronouns",
  "rules": [
    {
      "title": "Forms and agreement",
      "bullets": [
        "me, te, lo/la, nos, os, los/las.",
        "lo/la/los/las agree in gender and number with the noun replaced.",
        "lo also serves as a neuter 'it' referring to an idea or clause."
      ]
    },
    {
      "title": "Placement",
      "bullets": [
        "Before a conjugated verb: Yo lo compro.",
        "Attached to the end of an infinitive: voy a comprarlo.",
        "Attached to the end of a gerund (with written accent): estoy comprándolo.",
        "Cannot be attached to a finite (conjugated) verb."
      ]
    },
    {
      "title": "Personal a",
      "bullets": [
        "When the direct object is a specific person, precede it with personal a: Ella mira a Juan.",
        "The personal a does not change the pronoun choice: Ella lo mira."
      ]
    }
  ],
  "examples": [
    {"es": "Yo lo compro.", "en": "I buy it.", "tags": ["lo"]},
    {"es": "Los quiero.", "en": "I want them (m).", "tags": ["los"]},
    {"es": "Ellos la tienen.", "en": "They have it (f).", "tags": ["la"]},
    {"es": "Yo te amo.", "en": "I love you.", "tags": ["te"]},
    {"es": "Tú nos miras.", "en": "You watch us.", "tags": ["nos"]},
    {"es": "Ella lo mira.", "en": "She watches him.", "tags": ["lo", "personal-a"]},
    {"es": "Yo puedo verte.", "en": "I can see you.", "tags": ["infinitive"]},
    {"es": "Ellos quieren comprarlos.", "en": "They want to buy them.", "tags": ["infinitive", "los"]},
    {"es": "Voy a leerlo.", "en": "I'm going to read it.", "tags": ["ir-a"]},
    {"es": "Estás mirándome.", "en": "You are watching me.", "tags": ["gerund", "accent"]},
    {"es": "Ellos están leyéndolo.", "en": "They are reading it.", "tags": ["gerund", "accent"]},
    {"es": "Lo sé.", "en": "I know it.", "tags": ["neuter-lo"]}
  ],
  "vocab": [
    {"es": "comprar", "en": "to buy", "pos": "verb"},
    {"es": "leer", "en": "to read", "pos": "verb"},
    {"es": "mirar", "en": "to watch/look at", "pos": "verb"},
    {"es": "ver", "en": "to see", "pos": "verb"},
    {"es": "amar", "en": "to love", "pos": "verb"},
    {"es": "coche", "en": "car", "pos": "noun"},
    {"es": "libro", "en": "book", "pos": "noun"},
    {"es": "casa", "en": "house", "pos": "noun"}
  ],
  "conjugation_tables": [],
  "exercises": [
    {"sentence": "Yo _____ compro. (the car)", "correct": "lo", "distractor": "la", "explanation": "Coche is masculine singular, so use lo."},
    {"sentence": "Ellos _____ tienen. (the houses)", "correct": "las", "distractor": "los", "explanation": "Casas is feminine plural, so use las."},
    {"sentence": "Quiero comprar_____. (it, masc.)", "correct": "lo", "distractor": "le", "explanation": "DOP attaches to the infinitive: comprarlo."},
    {"sentence": "Tú estás mirándo_____. (me)", "correct": "me", "distractor": "te", "explanation": "DOP attaches to the gerund with an accent: mirándome."},
    {"sentence": "Ella mira _____ Juan.", "correct": "a", "distractor": "el", "explanation": "Personal a is required before a human direct object."},
    {"sentence": "Yo _____ amo. (you)", "correct": "te", "distractor": "ti", "explanation": "Te is the DOP; ti is for after prepositions."},
    {"sentence": "Voy a leer_____. (the book)", "correct": "lo", "distractor": "los", "explanation": "Libro is masculine singular: leerlo."},
    {"sentence": "Nosotros _____ vemos a ellos.", "correct": "los", "distractor": "les", "explanation": "Standard DOP for 'them' (m.) is los."}
  ],
  "caveats": "Source clean text had OCR errors ('cooch'=coche, 'lios'=libros). Reconstructed from Spanish."
}
