Topicalisation, clitic doubling and lo as an attribute

What it is

Spanish word order is flexible. When you want to talk about something already present in the conversation, you can move it to the front of the sentence and make it the topic: Ese libro ya lo leí ("That book, I've already read it"). If the fronted element is a definite direct object, Spanish repeats it with an unstressed object pronoun (a clitic: lo, la, los, las) right before the verb. This repetition is called clitic doubling (duplicación de clíticos), and here it is obligatory: ✗ Ese libro ya leí sounds broken to a native ear.

This topic also covers two close relatives. A stressed pronoun such as a ella or a ti can be added for emphasis or contrast, but the clitic stays: A ella la vi, pero a ti no. And the neuter pronoun lo can stand for a whole attribute after ser, estar and parecer: —¿Es médica? —Sí, lo es.

How it works

The recipe for a fronted object: the topic first, then the clitic that agrees with it in gender and number, then the verb.

The subject often moves to the end, where Spanish puts new information: La cena la preparó mi papá answers "Who made dinner?". The noun at the start is still the object, so the verb agrees with the real subject (Los boletos los compró mi hermana, not ✗ compraron).

Contrastive doubling. Stressed pronouns (a mí, a ti, a él, a ella, a usted, a nosotros, a ellos…) never replace the clitic; they are added to it: A ella la invité, a él no. La vi a ella is fine too, but ✗ Vi a ella and ✗ A ella vi are not.

Lo as an attribute. After ser, estar and parecer, neuter lo replaces the adjective, noun or phrase that describes the subject. It never changes for gender or number:

Lo with todo. When todo is the direct object, Spanish usually adds lo: Lo sé todo, Mi hermano lo arregla todo. If todo goes to the front, lo is required: Todo lo hace con calma.

When to use it

• To pick up something already mentioned: —¿Y el pastel? —El pastel lo compré yo.
• To contrast two things: La sopa la hice yo; el postre lo trajo mi tía.
• To present the subject as the new information: Esa canción la escribió mi abuelo.
• In short answers about qualities and states: —¿Ya estás lista? —Sí, ya lo estoy.

Fronting is typical of conversation. The normal order (Compré el pastel) is always fine; fronting a definite object without its clitic is not.

• El café lo preparo yo; tú encárgate del pan.I'll make the coffee; you take care of the bread.fronted object + clitic
• A ella la vi en el concierto, pero a su novio no.I saw her at the concert, but not her boyfriend.contrastive doubling
• —¿Son ricos? —Lo parecen, pero no lo son.—Are they rich? —They look it, but they aren't.lo replaces the attribute
• Mi sobrino lo pregunta todo.My nephew asks about everything.lo + todo

Contrasts and traps

• No clitic. ✗ Esa película ya vi → Esa película ya la vi. Only a bare noun without an article can be fronted without a clitic, and then it sounds emphatic: Café no tomo, pero té sí.
• Wrong gender or number. The clitic copies the fronted noun: Las llaves las dejé…, never ✗ Las llaves lo dejé….
• Lo as an attribute never agrees. ✗ Sí, la es and ✗ Sí, los son → Sí, lo es, Sí, lo son. The object pronoun, by contrast, does agree: ¿Conoces a Ana? —Sí, la conozco (object) vs ¿Ana es simpática? —Sí, lo es (attribute).
• Short answers need lo. ✗ Sí, es and ✗ Sí, está are incomplete; say Sí, lo es or simply Sí.
• Leísmo (recognition only). In much of Spain, le replaces lo for a male person: A Juan le vi ayer. That is accepted there; Latin America says A Juan lo vi ayer. Use lo and la, and simply recognise le. Le for a woman (✗ A María le vi) is not standard anywhere.

If you speak Portuguese

Portuguese fronts objects without any pronoun (Esse livro eu já li) and often drops the object altogether (—Viu o filme? —Vi.). Spanish needs the clitic in both cases: Ese libro ya lo leí; —¿Viste la película? —Sí, la vi. Short answers like É, sim become Sí, lo es.