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Old November 20, 2008, 08:07 AM
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Tomisimo Tomisimo is offline
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Join Date: May 2006
Location: North America
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Quote:
Originally Posted by literacola View Post
I think this whole direct object and indirect object business is the most confusing thing I have run into while learning Spanish
First of all, direct or indirect objects are always nouns, pronouns or noun phrases.

A direct object is a noun that is acted upon by the verb. Think of this as physically being affected by the verb.

I bought a car. - Compré un coche.
I let the cat go. - Solté al gato.

In these examlpes, the car and the cat were directly affected by the action of the verb. The verb acted directly upon them.

An indirect object is the secondary recipient or beneficiary of the verb's action. When you have an indirect object, you almost always have a direct object too.

I bought my sister a car. - Le compré un coche a mi hermana.
I gave the book to the professor. - Le di el libro al profesor.

In these examples, the direct objects are the car and the book, and the indirect objects are your sister and the prof.

I hope that helps a bit.
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