Di a tu marido que se ponga

Question

I have a question regarding the use of the indirect object pronoun. Here's a sentence from a book I recently read:

"Di a tu marido que se ponga." (telephone context)

I checked Google and the phrase "dile a tu marido que..." seems to be used more frequently than just "di a tu marido que..." but not by a large margin. The SD dictionary offers two examples: "decir a alguien que haga algo" and "decirle a alguien cuatro verdades".

Based on these sentences I'm thinking that maybe the IO pronoun is mandatory only in sentences where you have a 'normal' direct object (the gift, the cake, the ball) and not obligatory (optional? wrong?) when you have a whole subordinate clause that functions as the direct object. All the grammar I can find on this topic features only standard sentences with a single noun as the direct object and none of this fancy "que + subjuntivo" stuff. Thoughts?

Answer 1

We use the IO pronoun in most sentence structures even when it is not necessary, but just from habit.

When the IO comes before the associated verb the IO pronoun is mandatory: A tu marido, dile que......

When the IO comes after the associated verb the IO pronoun is optional: Di (le) a tu marido que ........

Obviously, the IO pronoun is also mandatory if the IO doesn´t appear at all in the sentence, but in a prior sentence.

Muchas gracias, buena explicación. Actually I didn't know that, it just souns ' more right' to me. - annierats, Jan 26, 2015

Ah yes, that's it, that makes perfect sense. Thanks for clearing it up! :) - Manity, Jan 27, 2015

Answer 2

I think ' Dile a tu marido que .. ( whatever)..' is the correct format. Obviously, you could equally well say ' decirle ..' but if you're talking to a friend ' dile' would be fine.

I stick my head up above the parapete to be shot at here... - annierats, Jan 26, 2015

I agree :dile". In fact I got a very similar message yesterday from a native speaking friend. - gringojrf, Jan 26, 2015

So basically the absence of the IO pronoun is lazy or perhaps regional Spanish? - Manity, Jan 26, 2015