How to properly use and understand "le"?
I'm confused on how "le" is interpreted.
So, if the sentence was say, "lo tiro" it would mean "to throw it" What changes if you write "tirarle?" I keep on thinking it means the same thing, but couldn't it also mean "to throw to him?"
Thanks!
2 Answers
Le is he, she or it as an indirect object pronoun. (generally, see below for exceptions)
You might wonder how an "it" can be an indirect object. Here's an example:
Le ponga los huevos a la sartén.
Put the eggs in the pan. Here, the eggs are the direct object, the pan is receiving them, so it is the indirect object.
Le is also used as an direct object in some regions, for example, Madrid and some other areas in Spain. This is related to leísmo, which is a tendency to use le instead of lo for males, and in some more extreme cases to use le instead of la for females and les instead of los and las for multiple people as direct objects. This grammar "mistake" probably grew from a dislike among some people , of referring to a man with the same pronoun used to refer to an inanimate object - it. (Lo can be it or him) I say "mistake" because using "le" instead of "lo" is blessed by the RAE for referring to male humans as direct objects.
For the most basic understanding of how le is used I would refer you to the main menu / Language Guide / and then the articles on pronouns / indirect pronouns / direct pronouns etc.
If you are not already following a structured approach to learning Spanish I highly recommend the free SD video course which you can find under the main menu / Learn Spanish...it is the one with the picture of Paralee, the teacher for this course.
And to answer your question about tirarle...yes this could mean throw something to him or her. It would often be found as tirárselo, however, throw it to him/her. Here, "le" has been replaced with "se" which is rule of Spanish grammar to avoid funny sounding combinations like lele, lela, lelos, etc.
Here is a progression of a Spanish sentence from full sentence, with everything spelled out to a reduced sentence where only the necessary pronouns remain.
Le debo tirar la pelota a Juan. (with "redundant" IOP)
I must throw the ball to Juan.
Debo tirarle la pelota a Juan. (simply shifting IOP to position it after the infinitive...means the same thing.)
I must throw the ball to Juan.
Debo tirarle la pelota. (removing Juan, this may be understood from context)
I must throw the ball to him.
Debo tirársela. (now removing la pelota, may be understood from prior context)
I must throw it to him.
And, finally, in Madrid, I suppose one could say:
Debo tirarle.
I must throw him.
But this would be pretty unusual.
Sorry! Wrong topic. Delete.
