Ch 17 · Lesson 17Spanish · Chapter 17 · Lesson 17 · Grammar primer
Dámelo: where the pair goes
In front of a conjugated verb, joined to an infinitive, a gerund or a positive command, and the accent that keeps the stress.
The short version
Two pronouns on the end need an accent
, .
Why?Hide
Before a conjugated verb the pair stands in front: . On an infinitive, a gerund or a positive command it joins the end, and the stress stays put, so you write an accent: , , . A negative command keeps them in front: .
Where the pair goes
The pair goes in front of a conjugated verb, as separate words. It joins the end of an infinitive, a gerund or a positive command, as one word:
| Verb form | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| conjugated | . | I give it to you. |
| negative | . | I'm not giving it to you. |
| infinitive | . | I want to give it to you. |
| gerund | . | I'm explaining it to you. |
| yes command | . | Give it to me. |
| no command | . | Don't give it to me. |
With a verb plus an infinitive, both positions are right. The pair moves together:
.- I'm going to give it to you..- I'm going to give it to you.
Never split the pair: , not a .
The written accent
Joining pronouns on makes the word longer, but the stress stays where it was. When the stressed syllable ends up third from the end or further back, write an accent on it:
| Verb | One pronoun | Two pronouns |
|---|---|---|
| | |
| | |
| | |
| | |
| | |
So two pronouns on an infinitive always need the accent, and a gerund needs it even with one. keeps the stress second from the end, so it needs none:
.- Give me the book..- Give it to me.
Mistakes English speakers make
| Wrong | Right | Why |
|---|---|---|
| me . | . | the indirect comes first |
| . | . | becomes before |
| . | . | becomes too |
| . | . | the accent keeps the stress |
| No . | . | a no command keeps them before |
| a . | . | the pair stays together |
Going further: Pronoun order at a glance and the rest of the guide, when you want them. This lesson does not need them.
Practice
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One question at a time, mixed across the exercises in this lesson. Miss one and it comes back round before the end.
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