Combination of unstressed pronouns: se lo pide, nos lo dice, te las enseña...

Combinación de los pronombres átonos: se lo pide, nos lo dice, te las enseña...

Usamos dos pronombres átonos juntos cuando en la frase hay una persona y una cosa.

(We use two unstressed pronouns together when there is a person and a thing in the sentence.)

Teacher explanation

What you are doing here: replace 2 complements with 2 pronouns

Many Spanish verbs can have:

a person = indirect object (IO) → answers ¿a quién? / ¿para quién?
a thing = direct object (DO) → answers ¿qué?

When you replace both with pronouns, Spanish uses a fixed order:

IO (person) + DO (thing)

Step-by-step: find the person and the thing

Identify the thing (DO): ask What? / ¿Qué?

El médico explica la dieta a mí. → What does he explain? La dieta (DO)
Identify the person (IO): ask To whom? / ¿A quién?

El médico explica la dieta a mí. → To whom? A mí (IO)
Replace with pronouns and keep the order person + thing:

a mí → me ; la dieta → la

Me la explica.

Quick mapping: choose the right pronouns (no guessing)

Person (IO)	me, te, le, nos, os, les
Thing (DO)	lo, la, los, las

lo = it (masc.), la = it (fem.)
los = them (masc.), las = them (fem.)

Tip: le/les never tells you gender. Gender is shown by lo/la/los/las.

Placement: before a conjugated verb vs. attached to an infinitive

Conjugated verb → pronouns go before the verb.

Explica el régimen a ti. → Te lo explica.
Infinitive (va a + infinitive, querer + infinitive, poder + infinitive…) → you can attach pronouns to the end of the infinitive.

Va a explicar la dieta a mí. → Va a explicármela.

Self-check: when you attach, Spanish adds an accent to keep the stress: explicar → explicár-.

The “se” change: avoid le lo / les la

If both pronouns are 3rd person (le/les + lo/la/los/las), Spanish changes le/les → se.

Not possible	Correct
~~Le la explica.~~	Se la explica.
~~Les lo doy.~~	Se lo doy.

Important: se here does not mean “himself/herself”. It only avoids the sound le lo.

Common pitfalls (and how to fix them fast)

Wrong order: thing + person

~~Lo te recomienda.~~ → Te lo recomienda.
Keeping “a + person” and also using the pronoun (unnecessary in this level)

~~Me la explica a mí.~~ → usually just Me la explica.

Note: you may keep a mí only for strong contrast: A mí me la explica, pero a él no.
Choosing the wrong DO gender/number

las judías (fem. plural) → las → Voy a preparártelas.

Mini self-check before you answer

Did I find the thing (¿qué?) → lo/la/los/las?
Did I find the person (¿a quién?) → me/te/le/nos/os/les?
Did I place them in the fixed order person + thing?
If it’s le/les + lo/la/los/las, did I change le/les → se?
Is my placement correct: before a conjugated verb / attached to an infinitive?

Small note: “según”, “entre”, “hasta” use stressed pronouns

After según, entre, hasta, Spanish uses stressed forms:

según tú (not ~~según ti~~)
entre tú y yo (fixed expression)

This is separate from object pronouns, but it often appears in the same unit.

The fixed order is: person (indirect object) + thing (direct object).
Thing → answers ¿qué?; Person → answers ¿a quién? / ¿para quién?
Person ⭢ me, te, le, nos, os, les; Thing ⭢ lo, la, los, las

Situación	Frase original	Frase con pronombres
Persona + Cosa (Person + Thing)	El médico explica la dieta a mí. (The doctor explains the diet to me.)	Me la explica. (He/She explains it to me.)
Con el infinitivo, pronombres al final del verbo (With the infinitive, pronouns at the end of the verb)	Va a explicar la dieta a mí. (He/She is going to explain the diet to me.)	Va a explicármela. (He/She is going to explain it to me.)
Con el verbo conjugado, pronombres antes del verbo (With the conjugated verb, pronouns before the verb)	Explica el régimen a ti. (He/She explains the diet plan to you.)	Te lo explica. (He/She explains it to you.)

Exceptions!

When both pronouns are third person, the indirect pronoun changes to se, both singular and plural ( explícalela ⭢ explícasela).
With entre, hasta, según we use stressed pronouns (según tú and not según ti).

Exercise 1: Multiple choice

Instruction: Choose the correct answer

1. ___ enseño en la app para que veas cuántas calorías tienen las lentejas.

2. La dieta para diabéticos ya ___ he explicado al paciente dos veces.

3. No te preocupes: voy a ___ esta noche, las judías blancas.

4. Si no entiendes el plan, ___ dices y lo revisamos juntos.

Exercise 2: Rewrite the phrases

Instruction: Rewrite the sentences by replacing the indirect object (to me/to you/to him/…) and the direct object (the diet/the report/the keys, etc.) with unstressed pronouns (me/you/him/her/us/you/them + it/her/them). With an infinitive, place them at the end (e.g.: Voy a explicar la dieta a mí → Voy a explicármela).

Show/Hide translation Show/Hide hints

El médico explica la dieta a mí.

⇒ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Example
Me la explica.
(He explains it to me.)
Tenemos que enviar el informe a la jefa.

⇒ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Example
Tenemos que enviárselo.
(We have to send it to her.)
¿Puedes dar las llaves a tu compañero?

⇒ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Example
¿Puedes dárselas?
(Can you give them to him/her?)
Voy a enseñar el piso a mis padres esta tarde.

⇒ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Example
Voy a enseñárselo esta tarde.
(I’m going to show it to them this afternoon.)

Exercise 3: Multiple Choice

Instruction: Choose the correct sentence.