79 - Incorrect use of “la”/“le”/“lo”/Uso incorrecto de “la”/“le”/“lo” (laísmo, leísmo, loísmo)

Summary

Incorrect use of third person pronouns

These three nouns point to what are considered “incorrect” uses of the third person pronouns la, le and lo. To a very large extent, but not in every case, their faulty usage resides in confusion over the direct and indirect objects.

Laísmo

Laísmo is the defective use of la(s) as a feminine indirect object, instead of le(s). The pronouns la, las derive from the Latin accusative forms illam, illas. In consequence, la and las function in standard Spanish as direct objects. La/s encontré en la calle. (I met her/them/found it/them in the street.)

Thus, in cultured Spanish, the following sentence: Cuando Juana abrió la puerta, la dije que…, la is not acceptable, any more than Yo la di un beso a Josefina, or A María la duele la cabeza. In all three cases, “correct” Spanish le replaces la, since it corresponds to the dative case or indirect object. This phenomenon of laísmo is only found in Central and Northern Spain, and does not extend to Andalusia, which explains its absence from the Canary Islands and Spanish America. It is viewed with unmitigated condemnation by a consensus of grammarians, both Spanish and Spanish-American, and is therefore not to be imitated.

Laísmo with “se”

Laísmo is also common with the pasiva refleja “se”: A esta chica se la llama María, where one would doubtless prefer: A esta chica se le llama María.