le
/le/
The word le is a Spanish word.
In informal contexts, it is sometimes used as a substitute for the direct object pronouns lo or la when referring to a person.
Is it said differently in some regions?
This specific substitution of le for lo or la is common in certain regions of Spain.
How do you pronounce it?
/le/
Did you know?
- When a Spanish speaker says 'Le encanta', they are literally saying 'It enchants to him', because the subject of the sentence is actually the thing being enjoyed.
- In many parts of Spain, speakers use le as a 'redundant pronoun' even when the object is already mentioned, such as saying 'Le vi a Juan' instead of just 'Vi a Juan'.
- The Latin ancestor illī means 'to that one', which explains why the Spanish le is used for indirect objects like 'to him'.
Examples in context
- Le escribo a Erwan Le Bourdonnec.I write to Erwan Le Bourdonnec.This sentence shows the word le used in a name.Tatoeba #1636212 by marcelostockle, translation #491541 by adjusting
- León es una ciudad castellanoleonesa.León is a Castilian-Leonese city.This sentence shows the word le used as part of the word León.Tatoeba #13476816 by Seael, translation #13478041 by rul
- León es una provincia castellanoleonesa.León is a Castilian-Leonese province.Tatoeba #13476815 by Seael, translation #13478042 by rul
- Le dije que viniera a la reunión.I told him/her to come to the meeting.
- Le presté mi libro a Ana.I lent my book to Ana.
- Juan le compró flores.Juan bought her flowers.
- Le vi ayer en la calle.I saw him/her yesterday in the street.
- Le gusta el café.He/she likes coffee.
- Le compré los zapatos.I bought him/her the shoes.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Sofía and Mateo are talking about a French book they found.
- SofíaMira este libro, dice 'le chat'.Look at this book, it says 'le chat'.
- MateoAh, 'le' significa 'el' en francés.Ah, 'le' means 'the' in French.
- SofíaSí, es el artículo masculino.Yes, it is the masculine article.
- MateoEntonces 'le chat' es el gato.Then 'le chat' is the cat.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry le, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries le, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
