Spanish Verbs Taking Indirect-Object Pronouns

Spanish Verbs Taking Indirect-Object Pronouns Generally, the difference between an  direct object of a verb and an indirect object of a verb is that a direct object is what or whom the verb acts upon, while the indirect object is the beneficiary and/or person that is affected by the verb. Thus in a simple sentence such as Le darà © el libro (I will give him the book), el libro (the book) is the direct object because its the thing being given, and le (him) is the indirect object because it refers to the person receiving the book. However, there are some verbs that use indirect-object pronouns even though those of us who speak English as a first language would probably think of them as using direct-object pronouns. One example would be a translation of the sentence I dont understand him (where him is a direct object) as No le entiendo or No le comprendo (where le is an indirect-object pronoun). (In this case, it is possible to say No lo entiendo or No lo comprendo, but the meaning would be different: I dont understand it.) Gustar and Similar Verbs The most common type of verb using an indirect-object pronoun where it might not seem intuitive to English speakers is a verb such as gustar, which means to please: Le gustaba el libro. The book pleased him/her. (This sentence would often be translated as he/she liked the book.) Although usage can vary with region and individuals, verbs like gustar are often used with the subject following the verb. Here are some examples taken from writings of native speakers: A la actriz le sorprendià ³ que hubiera un Starbucks en Espaà ±a. (The actress was surprised there was a  Starbucks in Spain. Le isnt translated to English here and in some sentences below because in the translation it is represented by the sentences subject.)No le agradà ³ la decisià ³n. (The decision didnt please him/her. He/she didnt like the decision.)A los daneses les encantan las salchichas. (The Danish love sausages.)A los soldados les faltan pelotas de golf. (The soldiers lack golf balls.)A ella no le interesaba la polà ­tica. (Politics didnt interest her. She wasnt interested in politics.)A los internautas les preocupan los virus, la privacidad, y el malware. (Viruses, privacy, and malware worry Internet users.) Verbs of Communication It is common when using verbs of communication - examples include hablar (to speak) and decir (to tell) - to use indirect-object pronouns. The logic behind this is that the speaker is communicating something, and that something is the direct object, and the person spoken to is the recipient. Le hablaron y no sabà ­a nada. (They spoke to him, and he/she didnt know anything.)Vas a ser madre, le dijeron. (Youre going to be a mother, they told her.)Voy a telefonearle de inmediato. (I am going to call him/her immediately.) Other Verbs A dozen or so verbs, several of them involving instruction or understanding, use the indirect object when the object is a person. Les enseà ±aban con un manual donde Tierra del Fuego pertenecà ­a a Chile. (They taught them with a book where Tierra del Fuego belonged to Chile.)No le creo, Sr. Hernndez. (I dont believe you, Mrs. Hernandez. No lo creo would mean I dont understand it.)El primer ministro dice que le inquieta la crisis humanitaria. (The prime minister says the humanitarian crisis worries him.)Hay veces que no le entiendo por su pronunciacià ³n. (There are times I dont understand her because of her pronunciation.) ¿Y si no le obedezco? (And if I dont obey him?) Usage Depending on Verb's Meaning Some verbs use an indirect object when they have certain meanings but a direct object otherwise: Pegar when it means to hit rather than to stick: A à ©l le pegaron con un bate en la cabeza. (They hit him with a bat in the head.)Recordar usually uses when it means to remind rather than to remember: Le recordamos muchas veces. (We remind him often.)Tocar when it means to be someones turn rather than to touch: A Catarina le tocaba. (It was Catarinas turn.)Discutir when it means to answer back rather than to discuss or to debate. El estudiante le discutà ­a de igual a igual. (The student answered him back as one equal to another.)