This is probably really simple but I keep getting confused by which form I’m meant to use. Do I match it to the person I’m talking about or do I match it to the gender of the noun? And which part of the sentence do I use to determine whether I use the singular or plural?
For example “Le mando notas” means I send him notes. What about a singular note? If I’m sending her notes does it become la? If I was sending them notes would it be las or les? If notas is feminine why don’t I use la?
Is there a simple way to remember whatever the rule is? Thanks!
I don’t know spanish, but based on my knowledge in fr*nch, I think “le” returns to the person being sent, since it’s a known person “the person” and the notes are “notes” “a note”, for them, it depends on the gender of the group you’re sending, a group of men it’s les, group of women it’s las, group of men and women prolly les too. You don’t say “la notas” because it’s multiple “a note”.
The issue is that you’re probably using English direct translation to try and understand it, if you’re an English speaker you should know that English isn’t really a gendered language. I guess a way you could do it is making the sentence like longer, from “I am sending him notes” to “I am sending the male person notes”
I just replied to the other comment on here that “I give her a flower” is “le doy una flor” even though both her and flower are feminine. Now I’m even more lost!
I’m definitely still in the translate-word-by-word stage of language learning, but I’m normally pretty good at remembering that nouns have genders and which gender to use. I could make myself understood by saying “le doy una flor a la mujer” but I still don’t understand why it’s le and not la.
I’ll be honest with you I’m also lost, wait for someone who actually understands spanish to talk
Lol. At least it’s not just me! Thanks for your input anyway. 😊
Le isn’t gendered. “Le doy una flor” can also translate to “I give him a flower” and “I give it a flower” and “I give them (singular) a flower”
Everything becomes le (or les) if they’re the object of a sentence.