Attaching Pronouns to Verbs

Spanish pronouns and verbs are usually written as separate words when adjacent. But there are three instances where object pronouns can or must be attached to the verbs they accompany, making the written form of verbpronoun appear as a single word. Reasons To Attach Pronouns Here are some examples of verbs and pronouns being combined, with the pronouns shown in boldface: Quiero comprarlo. (I want to buy it. Comprar and lo are listed as separate words in dictionaries.) ¡Olvà ­dalo! (Forget it! Olvida and lo are usually separate words.)Seguirà ¡n comprà ¡ndolo aà ±o tras aà ±o. (They will keep on buying it year after year.) ¡Bà ©same ahora! (Kiss me now!)Me lo llevo a casa para estudiarlo. (I am taking it home to study it.)No puedo verla. (I cant see it.) As you might be able to infer from these examples, the three types of verb forms that object pronouns can be attached to are these: Infinitives (the form of the verb that ends in -ar, -er or -ir).Gerunds (the form of the verb that ends in -ando or -endo).Affirmative commands (but not negative ones). In all cases, the pronunciation of the verb with the pronoun attached is the same as if they were separate words. But in writing, an accent is sometimes required, as in some of the above examples, with gerunds and affirmative commands, to make certain that the accent remains on the correct syllable. It also is possible to attach two object pronouns to a single verb: Puedes decà ­rmelo. (You can say it to me.) In such cases, the accent is always necessary. Pronouns Attached to Infinitives When an infinitive is used with another verb, the pronoun or pronouns can be attached to the infinitive but dont have to be. In such cases, the pronoun or pronouns can come before or after the verbinfinitive. In the following examples, either form is acceptable: Lo quiero comprar. Quiero comprarlo. (I want to buy it.)Me hizo leerlo. Me lo hizo leer. (She made me read it.)Espero verte. Te espero ver. (I hope to see you)Las voy a estudiar. Voy a estudiarlas. (I am going to study them.)Lo tengo que comer. Tengo que comerlo. (I have to eat it.)No lo puedo comprender. No puedo comprenderlo. (I cant understand it.)Lo detesto saber. Detesto saberlo. (I hate knowing it.) Note how these forms dont require a written accent. The stress of an infinitive is always on the last syllable, and all the personal pronouns end in a vowel or s, putting the stress on the next-to-last syllable anyway. When an infinitive is used as a noun—such as when it follows a preposition or is used as the subject of a sentence—attachment of the pronoun is required: Conocerte es amarte. (To know you is to love you.)Una manera muy simple de comprenderlo es observarlo. (A very simple way of understanding it is to observe it.)Pulsa sobre la fotografà ­a para verme con mi nueva familia. (Click on the photograph to see me with my new family.)Mi mayor miedo es conocerme a mà ­ mismo. (My biggest fear is knowing my very self.)No hay razà ³n para ofenderos. (There is no reason for offending you.) Pronouns Attached to Gerunds The rules for gerunds are similar to those for infinitives. When a gerund is used preceded by another verb, the pronoun can be placed before the other verb but not between the other verb and the gerund. When a gerund stands by itself, the pronoun typically is attached. Some examples: La estoy buscando. Estoy buscà ¡ndola. (I am looking for it.)Seguirà © estudià ¡ndolo. Lo seguirà © estudiando. (I will keep on studying it.)Leyà ©ndolo, tendrà ¡s à ©xito. (By reading it youll be successful.)Nos està ¡n dominando. Està ¡n dominà ¡ndonos. (They are dominating us.) Note the use of written accents with the gerund. Pronouns Attached to Affirmative Commands Object pronouns typically are placed attached to affirmative commands (a command in which someone is told to do something), but before negative commands (a command in which an adverb of negation, usually no, is used). Some examples:  ¡Cà ³melo! (Eat it!) ¡No lo comas! (Dont eat it!)Mà ­renme. (Look at me.)No me miren. (Dont look at me.)Està ºdiala. (Study it.)No la estudie. (Dont study it.)