When an imperative in Spanish has two pronouns there is a specific order: first the indirect object pronoun (me, te, le, nos, os, les) and then the direct object pronoun (lo, la, las, los). These move after and combine with the verb to become a single word.
Have a look at these examples:
Prepara la carne para él. -> Prepárasela.
Prepare the meat for him. -> Prepare it for him.
Cortad el cesped para mí. -> Cortádmelo.
Cut the grass for me. -> Cut it for me.
Escribid la carta a nosotros. -> Escribídnosla.
Write the letter to us. -> Write it to us
Pide las cervezas para ellos. -> Pídeselas.
Order the beers for them.-> Order them for them.
Comprad caramelos para vosotros. -> Compráoslos.
Buy sweets for you. -> Buy them for you.
Firmen el documento para ella. -> Fírmenselo.
Sign the document for her. -> Sign it for her.
Arregla la falda para ti. -> Arréglatela.
Mend the skirt for you. -> Mend it for you.
Notice:
- The combined verb with pronouns now has an accent [´] even if didn't have one as a simple imperative with no pronouns, this is to maintain the pronunciation of the original verb.
- When le or les is combined with the direct object pronoun it becomes se. This is for pronunciation reasons. See Pronouns le / les become se when used with lo, la, los, las (indirect with direct pronouns).
See also:
- Conjugate regular -ar verbs in El Imperativo (affirmative commands)
- Pronouns le / les become se when used with lo, la, los, las (indirect with direct pronouns)
Learn more about these related Spanish grammar topics
Examples and resources
Cortad el cesped para mí. -> Cortádmelo.
Cut the grass for me. -> Cut it for me.
Arregla la falda para ti. -> Arréglatela.
Mend the skirt for you. -> Mend it for you.
Prepara la carne para él. -> Prepárasela.
Prepare the meat for him. -> Prepare it for him.
Firmen el documento para ella. -> Fírmenselo.
Sign the document for her. -> Sign it for her.
Dámelo ahora mismo.
Give it to me straight away.
Escribid la carta a nosotros. -> Escribídnosla.
Write the letter to us. -> Write it to us
Pónselo en la mesa.
Put it on the table for him/her/them.
Pide las cervezas para ellos. -> Pídeselas.
Order the beers for them.-> Order them for them.
Comprad caramelos para vosotros. -> Compráoslos.
Buy sweets for you. -> Buy them for you.
Q&A
Inma
Kwiziq language super star
22/04/18
Hola Allison
The correct translation for "Order them for yourself" would be either:
"Pídetelas" (informal for tú) or "Pídaselas" (formal for usted)
In the example inside the lesson, the se in "pídeselas" refers to "for/to them".
I hope this clarified your doubt.
Gracias
Inma
Inma
Kwiziq language super star
15/02/18
Hi Gary
The form of the imperative for tú coincides (except for the irregular imperatives) with the 3rd person singular (él, ella) of the present indicative. I imagine you refer to the sentences in the examples that look like a present indicative, e.g "Prepara la carne para él" (Prepare the meat for him [command]). This could also mean "He/she prepares the meat for him" [Affirmative sentence in the present tense indicative]. They coincide in the form.
I hope this clarifies your doubt. If you refer to something different please let us know.
Gracias
Inma
Gary
Kwiziq community member
15/02/18
Hi Imna,
Sorry for the confusion, the message function of the site is broken and the message I wrote got lost, so you can only see the subject. I'm trying again now...
My question is that a test marked my translation of "Give it to me, please" as "Me lo das, por favor" as incorrect and said I should have used "Dámelo, por favor". However, I believed that using the indicative instead of the imperative for a command was correct and relatively common. Is this not correct? This was in a general test, not one specific to "Using double pronouns with El imperativo".
Gary
Alan
Kwiziq community member
5/06/18
Silvia
Kwiziq language super star
20/11/17
Korbel
Kwiziq community member
23 October 2018
3 replies
Pideselas
In the test question about Pideselas.. The aswers the computer listed were:
1. Order them for them
2. Order them for her
3. Order them for him.
I feel #2 and #3 answers are wrong. Would you please check of that. I could be wrong myself. Thank you.
Inma
Kwiziq language super star
24 October 2018
24/10/18
Hola Korbel
"Se" here is referring to "to/for him", "to/for her" or "to/for them". It is the indirect object pronoun that turns into "se" when le/les precedes a direct object pronoun lo/la/los/las. This is the case here with Píde-se-las.
There are three possible answers because that "se" could be referring to any of those three pronouns (le=to him, le=to her or les=to them).
If we give nouns to those pronouns, it'll be easier to see.
Let's take these sentences:
Order some beers for him - Pide cervezas para él.
Pide-le-las = Pídeselas
Order some beers for her - Pide cervezas para ella.
Pide-le-las = Pídeselas
Order some beers for them - Pide cervezas para ellos/ellas.
Pide-les-las = Pídeselas
The three forms coincide as le/les turn into "se".
"Las" never changes as it is always referring to "cervezas" (las).
I hope this clarifies your doubt.
Saludos
Inma
Korbel
Kwiziq community member
24 October 2018
24/10/18
Thanks Inma. Explanantion is clear. If only I could use it in practice without getting confused in the process.
Saludos.
K
ire8m
Kwiziq community member
3 November 2018
3/11/18
Soy nativa de España. Es pídeselas (a ellos) con tilde.
De nada.