Putting words together
Where to put lo in “lo quiero”
Pronouns before a conjugated verb
With an ordinary conjugated verb, put the object pronoun before the verb.
The pattern
- Pronoun + verb: lo veo, te ayudo, le escribo.
- In a negative sentence: no + pronoun + verb.
La entiendo.
I understand her.
Why it works: La goes before entiendo.
Notice the difference
No la entiendo.
I do not understand her.
Why it works: No comes before the pronoun; the pronoun still comes before the verb.
One thing to watch for
Do not copy English order: entiendo la is not “I understand her.” Affirmative commands follow a different pattern: mírala.