Master Spanish Commands with Pronouns!

Hola, feliz martes. Espero estés muy bien.

Bienvenido/a to Master Spanish Weekly, where we get you to speak Spanish more naturally every week.

This week, we’re focusing on something that makes your Spanish sound natural and fluent: how to give commands (imperatives) and combine them with direct and indirect object pronouns. This always comes up in daily life, when asking someone to give you something, show you something, send you something, or explain something to someone else.

But first, let’s check how the weather is today in Austin, TX.

🌤️ ¿Cómo está el clima hoy?

📚 This Week’s Lesson: Imperatives with Pronouns

In Spanish, when you tell someone to do something (a command), you often need to say who the action is for and what the action is about; that’s where direct and indirect object pronouns come in.

Let’s break it down simply:

When you say “Give me the book”, you have:

• The command: “Give”

• Who you’re giving to: “me”

• What you’re giving: “the book”

In Spanish, you put it all together in a neat package:
“Dámelo” → “Give it to me.”

Here’s how it works:

1️⃣ Use the command form of the verb (for example, dar becomes da for “give”).
2️⃣ Attach the indirect pronoun (me, te, le → which often changes to se when combined) to show who gets the action.
3️⃣ Attach the direct pronoun (lo, la, los, las) to show what you’re talking about.
4️⃣ It all goes together, no spaces: Dámelo, Díselo, Muéstramelo.

So, in conversation:

• “Dame el libro” = Give me the book.

• “Dámelo” = Give it to me. (the “lo” replaces “el libro”)

When you have both pronouns, the order is always: Indirect first (me, te, se, nos) + Direct (lo, la, los, las) → all attached to the end of the command.

❌ What about negative commands?

When you say “Don’t do it” or “Don’t tell me”, the pronouns go before the verb, and they’re separate words:

• No me lo des. → Don’t give it to me.

• No se lo digas. → Don’t tell it to him/her.

So:
✅ Affirmative: attached at the end → Dámelo
❌ Negative: before the verb → No me lo des

Let’s practice with some examples:

10 Everyday Expressions with Imperatives + Pronouns

1️⃣ Dámelo ahora, por favor.
Give it to me now, please.

2️⃣ Tráemela cuando vengas.
Bring it to me when you come.

3️⃣ Muéstrale tu oficina.
Show your office to her/him.

4️⃣ Explícamelo otra vez, no lo entendí bien.
Explain it to me again, I didn’t understand it well.

5️⃣ Cómprasela mañana si puedes.
Buy it for her tomorrow if you can.

6️⃣ Pásamelo cuando termines.
Pass it to me when you’re done.

7️⃣ Díselo tú, yo no quiero decírselo.
You tell it to him/her, I don’t want to tell him/her.

8️⃣ Prepáranosla para la cena, por favor.
Prepare it for us for dinner, please.

9️⃣ Véndeselo a ellos si no lo quieres.
Sell it to them if you don’t want it.

🔟 No me lo digas ahora, dime después.
Don’t tell it to me now, tell me later.

Practice by saying them aloud along with the audio👇🏼

These short sentences sound natural — they’re the kind of quick instructions or favors you say at home, at work, or with friends. Students can repeat them as mini practice chunks to get used to where the pronouns go and how the tone feels.

✍️ Mini Quiz:

• Complete each phrase using the correct form + pronouns:

1️⃣ _________ (dar) el libro a mí.
a) Dámelo
b) Dámela
c) Dánoslo

2️⃣ _________ (mostrar) las fotos a nosotros.
a) Muéstramelo
b) Muéstranoslas
c) Muéstraselo

3️⃣ _________ (explicar) la situación a él.
a) Explícaselo
b) Explícamelo
c) Explícanoslo

4️⃣ _________ (enviar) el documento a ellos.
a) Envíaselo
b) Envíamelo
c) Envíasenoslo

5️⃣ (Negativo) No _________ (decir) el secreto a ella.
a) No se lo di
b) No se lo digas
c) No te lo diga

Check your answers by completing the quiz below:

🎥 Reel Destacado: Locuciones Verbales

Have you put into practice the “Locuciones Verbales” in Spanish?

They are combinations of two or more words that work as a single verb and give a special nuance to what you mean. For example:

• Echar de menos (to miss)

• Dar con (to run into)

• Tener ganas de (to feel like doing something)

¡Gracias por practicar Español conmigo!

Como siempre, muchas gracias por leer mi newsletter y por tu interés en mejorar tu Español. Recuerda que siempre puedes responder a este correo con cualquier pregunta o comentario. Hasta la próxima semana.

🗳️ Poll: Let’s hear from you!

Que tengas una muy buena semana.

Alejandro Nuñez, Founder and Director at New Way Spanish, soon to be Vokally!