Does the pronoun always come before the verb?

Question

For instance, which would be the correct answer to the question "¿Han encontrado las zapatillas?":

Sí, he las encontrado. or Sí, he encontrado las.

Thanks!

Answer 1

Hi Piratefan,

The pronoun comes before the verb, unless the verb is infinitive or a positive command. In this cases, it follows the verb as an attachment.

Las veo. I see them.

Quiero comerlas. I want to eat them.

Entonces,, ¡comelas! Then eat them!

¡No las comas! Don't eat them! (Negative command)

P.S.- your last sentence, he encontrado las, is totally unacceptable. - Goyo, Dec 4, 2010

Or a gerundio - Estoy comiéndolas. - KevinB, Dec 4, 2010

Answer 2

Extrapolating from the above ... direct object pronouns are attached to infinitives (Quiero comerlas.) gerunds (Estoy comiéndolas.) and imperatives (¡comelas!) but not negative impertives (must be ¡No las comas!) or indicative verbs including complex tenses made with a past participle (Las encontró. Sí, he las encontrado.) .... Is that a correct summary?

That's it. I'd flip it around and say that they are always immediately before the verbs except in those 3 cases, but it amounts to the same thing.

By the way, a Spanish gerundio is not exactly the same as an English gerund. You might search for that if you care for the details, but a gerundio is any verb ending in -ando or -iendo. In English not every verb ending in -ing is a gerund, only those being used as nouns. Sometimes in English verbs ending in -ing are the present participle being used in a progressive tense. You can't use Spanish gerundios as nouns. You have to use the infinitive.

I like swimming - gerund
I am swimming - present participle in the present progressive tense

Me gusta nadar - I like swimming
Estoy nadando - I am swimming

"is not exactly the same" that's a massive understatement. - samdie, Dec 5, 2010

Answer 3

Extrapolating from the above ... direct object pronouns are attached to infinitives (Quiero comerlas.) gerunds (Estoy comiéndolas.) and imperatives (¡comelas!) but not negative impertives (must be ¡No las comas!) or indicative verbs including complex tenses made with a past participle (Las encontró. Sí, he las encontrado.) .... Is that a correct summary?

Answer 4

Goyo is right but note that "Sí, las he encontrado." is correct, not "Sí, he las encontrado."

...and welcome to the forum :) - alba3, Dec 4, 2010