les
Lemma Details
Translation: them; to them; for them
Part of Speech: pronoun
Etymology: Les comes from Latin 'illis', the dative plural form of 'ille' (that). It evolved through Vulgar Latin into Old Spanish and then modern Spanish as a third-person plural indirect object pronoun. Unlike English pronouns which don't change form based on their function in a sentence, Spanish pronouns have distinct forms for different grammatical roles.
Commonality: 90%
Guessability: 30%
Register: neutral
Mnemonics
- Think of 'les' as 'to L-them' where the L reminds you it's for indirect objects.
- Remember that 'les' ends with 's' for plural, just like English plurals often end with 's'.
Cultural Context
The use of 'les' is essential in Spanish conversation as it's part of the complex pronoun system. In some regions of Spain and Latin America, there's a phenomenon called 'leísmo' where 'le' and 'les' are sometimes used as direct objects instead of just indirect objects.
Easily Confused With
Explanation: 'Les' is an indirect object pronoun (to/for them) while 'los' is a direct object pronoun (them, masculine).
This word:
Les compré regalos.
I bought gifts for them.
Confused word:
Los vi en el parque.
I saw them in the park.
Notes: A common error for Spanish learners is mixing up direct and indirect object pronouns.
Mnemonic: 'Les' is for giving TO them; 'los' is for acting directly ON them.
Explanation: 'Les' is an indirect object pronoun (to/for them) while 'las' is a direct object pronoun (them, feminine).
Notes: The gender distinction only applies to direct object pronouns, not to indirect ones like 'les'.
Mnemonic: 'Les' has an 'e' for indirect; 'las' has an 'a' for direct action.