Attaching pronouns to commands 1

Affirmative commands — pronouns always attach — In affirmative imperatives (tú, usted, ustedes, nosotros), object and reflexive pronouns must attach to the end of the verb: Dímelo. Háblame. Siéntate. Pónganlo. There is no option to place them before the verb in affirmative commands — unlike all other verb forms.

Accent rules when attaching — Attaching a pronoun adds a syllable that shifts the stress, so a written accent is often needed to preserve the original stress: habla + me → háblame; trae + lo → tráelo; sienta + te → siéntate. Rule of thumb: if the stressed syllable becomes the third or more from the end, add the accent.

Attaching to infinitives and gerunds — Pronouns can also attach to infinitives: Quiero verlo and to gerunds: Estoy leyéndolo. Both are equivalent to placing the pronoun before the auxiliary: Lo quiero ver / Lo estoy leyendo. The attached form always requires checking the accent: leyendo + lo → leyéndolo.