Le - indirect object pronoun

Question

El profesor le agarró con una chuleta en la manga

Can le be used as a direct object pronoun in Spanish as well? The teacher caught HIM(le)....

or the le refers to something else?

Thanks you, Alon

Answer 1

HI Alon, you are quite right, Le refers to him, le agarró .

Yes, le is used a direct or indirect object pronoun, only possible if it refers to "he".

Do you know the meaning of the sentence?

Answer 2

For me, the only right way is "el profesor lo/la agarró con un machete en la manga". "Le" is sort of an approved "no-longer leísmo" which is commonly used in most countries but the Southern Cone. [That's why we "Southernconites" are immune to laísmo and loísmo]

Not long time ago it was consider correct to use le to refer to men ("le agarró") and not to women ("la agarró"), but people insist in speaking the way they do speak, so now it's OK.

Answer 3

Thanks you for the reply. Yes, The teacher caught him with a cheat-sheet in his sleeve.

Good for you, alon, your Spanish seems to be pretty good already.

Not everybody knows this expression

Answer 4

I always the thought the reason to have “chuleta en la manga” was to grease one’s elbow.

Answer 5

Hi Heidita,

Thanks you for the reply. Yes, The teacher caught him with a cheat-sheet in his sleeve.