él
/ˈel/
The English phrase 'him' is translated into Spanish as él.
The pronoun él is a way to express 'him' in Spanish. For example, you can use it to say 'I saw you with him' (Te vi con él) or 'I am going to meet him' (Me voy a encontrar con él).
Meaning: accusative / direct object (pron)
Which one should you use?
While él is used after a preposition, such as in 'con él' (with him), the direct object pronoun lo is used when 'him' is the direct object of a verb, such as in 'lo vi' (I saw him).
How does it change in a sentence?
The form él is used as a prepositional object following words like con (with), para (for) or de (of/from).
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈel/
Did you know?
- The Spanish word él actually comes from the Latin word 'ille', which originally meant 'that one' rather than 'he'.
- In many Spanish-speaking regions, if you are speaking about a specific man, you can omit the word él entirely because the verb ending already reveals who you are talking about.
- Because él is a short word, it requires a written accent mark to distinguish it from the definite article el, which means 'the'.
Examples in context
- Te vi con él.I saw you with him.This sentence shows how to use él after the preposition 'con'.Tatoeba #2592823 by hayastan, translation #2240426 by Hybrid
- Lo sé por él.I know it from him.This sentence shows how to use él to indicate knowing something from someone.Tatoeba #5041625 by don_ramon, translation #1871547 by Asma
- Lo supe de él.I learned it from him.This sentence shows how to use él to indicate learning something from someone.Tatoeba #13450071 by Seael, translation #715756 by CM
- 1838 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Elena and Daniel are talking about a new colleague.
- Elena¿Conoces al nuevo jefe?Do you know the new boss?
- DanielSí, hablé con él ayer.Yes, I spoke with him yesterday.
- Elena¿Y qué te pareció?And what did you think of him?
- DanielParece muy amable, creo en él.He seems very kind, I believe in him.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry él, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries él, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
