Command: Le or Lo at the end
I'm confused about using "lo" or "le" at the end of commands. When I check translations on this website I get mixed results. For example: If I want to say "Help him", is it "Ayudele" or "Ayudelo"? Is "Give him" translated as "Dele" or "Delo"?
Thanks!
3 Answers
For ayudar, you might find it either with "le" or with "lo" depending on where you are in the world, and this has to do with a phenomenon known as leísmo (look it up if you are interested).
Here is what the DPD has to say about this in regards to the verb ayudar:
Otro grupo que ofrece confusión es el formado por verbos que...se construían habitualmente en el español medieval con pronombres de dativo, como en latín, y que hoy están pasando a construirse mayoritariamente con pronombres de acusativo, como es el caso de ayudar u obedecer.
Another group (of verbs) that presents confusion are those verbs which were once traditionally constructed with dative (indirect object) pronouns in medieval Spanish, as they were originally in Latin, and that today are moving towards being constructed more often with accusative (direct object) pronouns as is the case with "ayudar" and "obedecer."
Este proceso de cambio no se ha dado de manera uniforme en todas las áreas. Así, en las zonas no leístas del norte de España el régimen habitual es el dativo: «Vidal le ayudó. Y entre los dos lograron acercarlo al desmonte»
This process of change has in no way been uniform in all areas (where Spanish is spoken). As such, in areas of Northern Spain where leísmo is not prevalent, the common practice is to use the dative (I.O.P). For example: «Vidal le ayudó. Y entre los dos lograron acercarlo al desmonte»
en América está prácticamente generalizado el acusativo, sobre todo en los países del Cono Sur: «Natí lo ayudó a subir»
In America, for all practical purposes, the verb "ayudar" is used transitively (with a D.O.P). For example: «Natí lo ayudó a subir»
Andalucía y Canarias son zonas de vacilación: «Lo ayudó a subir» (CBonald Noche [Esp. 1981]); «Ella le ayudó a recostarse en un sofá»
Andalusia and the Canary Islands are areas where both forms can be found. For example: «Lo ayudó a subir» (CBonald Noche [Esp. 1981]); «Ella le ayudó a recostarse en un sofá»
You might also be interested in the following Wikipedia articles which might be a bit easier to follow than my own clumsy attempts:
Leísmo - more information regarding this phenomenon
Loísmo - addresses the use of lo/la in regards to the verb dar
You're getting mixed results because they are two different kinds of pronouns, one direct object and the other indirect object.
Ayúdelo = help him. Him is a direct object pronoun, as is lo
Dele = give him. Him is an indirect object pronoun (give it to him), as is le
the position of the direct object pronoun is correct. the proper way to translate is "ayudelo" and "dele"
