les
“les” means “to them” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:
to them, for them, (to/for) you all
📝 In Action
Les doy el dinero.
A1I give the money to them.
Ella quiere comprarles un regalo.
A2She wants to buy a gift for them.
Señores, ¿les traigo algo de beber?
A2Gentlemen, can I bring you all something to drink?
No les digas nada.
B1Don't tell them anything.
📝 In Action
A tus amigos les vi en el cine ayer.
B2I saw your friends at the movies yesterday.
Si ves a los niños, diles que vuelvan. Y si no les ves, llámales.
C1If you see the boys, tell them to come back. And if you don't see them, call them.
🔀 Commonly Confused With
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✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: les
Question 1 of 2
Which sentence correctly says "She writes a letter to them"?
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family▼
📚 Etymology▼
Comes from the Latin word 'illīs', which was used to mean 'to those' or 'for those'. Over time, it shortened and simplified into the Spanish 'les'.
First recorded: 10th century
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
What's the real difference between 'les' and 'los'?
Think of it like this: 'les' is usually for the person *receiving* something (to them/for them). 'Los' is for the person or thing *being directly seen, heard, or known* (them). For example, 'Les doy los libros' (I give the books *to them*). 'Les' gets the action, and 'los' (the books) are the thing being acted on.
Why does 'les' sometimes become 'se'?
It's a sound rule to make Spanish flow better. The combination 'les lo' or 'le la' sounds a bit clunky to Spanish speakers. To fix this, they swap 'les' for 'se' anytime it's followed by 'lo,' 'la,' 'los,' or 'las.' So, 'I gave it to them' becomes 'Se lo di.' The meaning of 'se' in this case is still 'to them'!
Can 'les' mean 'to you all'?
Yes, absolutely! In Latin America, and in formal situations in Spain, 'les' is the pronoun for 'ustedes' (you all). For example, 'Chicos, ¿les gusta la pizza?' (Kids, do you all like the pizza?).