How can el become lo in the direct object pronoun?
Por ejemplo:
Carmen lee el libro.
becomes...
Carmen lo lee.
Is it merely because it sounds better? Did I miss something in the lesson?
Thanks, Julia
3 Answers
You are correct it is a D.O.. Here are some examples:
Es la primera vez que lo veo. (It's the first time that I saw it.) lo = it
En todo caso, ninguna persona nos va a oír. (In any case, no one will hear us.) nos = us
Pero Sarah la sujetaba con fuerza. (But Sarah held it tight.) la = it
No te preocupes. (Don't you worry.) te = you
Yo no lo puse ahí. (I didn't put it there.) lo = it
Aún no te he visto hoy. (I have not seen you yet today.) te = you
A veces creo que te tiene totalmente dominada. (Sometimes I think he has you completly under his control.) te = you
Ooops... I figured it out. I think my question was actually about Indirect Object Pronouns but I need to review more to figure out what it was.
Thanks
To answer your original question the el does not become lo. The definite article has nothing to do with the direct object pronoun beyond that they are both referring to a masculine noun.
I pushed him. Lo empujé. There is no el (since the d.o. is a pronoun, not a noun) to change into lo. The lo refers to him.
In your sentence the lo refers to book; not el.
