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Which one is correct?

  1. A mis padres le pusieron la vacuna.

  2. A mis padres les pusieron la vacuna.

Thanks!

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  • 2
    It would be interesting to know which one you think is correct and why.
    – Lambie
    May 9, 2021 at 15:39
  • Nice that you are interested! “Les” makes sense. It’s just that “Le” somehow sounds ok. If I change the order, sounds even better: “Le pusieron la vacuna a mis padres”. Perhaps it is just a misuse in my dialect? I don’t know :/
    – elbulo
    May 9, 2021 at 20:33
  • However, I would say, for example: “El médico les puso la vacuna”. But if I add “a mis padres”, then I would say: “El médico le puso la vacuna a mis padres”. Is there a complicated grammar I’m missing here? Probably :/
    – elbulo
    May 9, 2021 at 21:02
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    The verb form is" poner la vacuna a los padres, plural. The les goes with padres plural not with vacuna.
    – Lambie
    May 9, 2021 at 21:46
  • It makes total sense! Thanks!
    – elbulo
    May 10, 2021 at 3:34

3 Answers 3

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Singular "le" may sound fine to you because it is an extended practice, though not strictly correct.

According to DPD, though wrong the use of singular "le" before a plural indirect object is widespread even among educated speakers:

  1. Discordancias en el uso de los clíticos. [...]:

a) A menudo, cuando el pronombre átono de dativo concurre en la oración con el complemento indirecto preposicional, se utiliza el singular le, aunque el referente sea plural; esta discordancia está extendida tanto en España como en América, incluso entre hablantes cultos, por lo que son frecuentes, aunque normativamente desaconsejables, oraciones como «Colombia le propuso a los Gobiernos de Estados Unidos y Venezuela una alianza» (Tiempo [Col.] 18.4.97). En el uso esmerado se recomienda mantener la concordancia de número entre el pronombre átono y el sustantivo al que se refiere: «Los mismos remedios de distracción que les daba a sus enfermos» (GaMárquez Amor [Col. 1985]).

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    Now I understand! Thank you so much
    – elbulo
    May 11, 2021 at 21:09
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Option 2 is correct: "les" refers to ‘mis padres’ (plural).

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Le pusieron refers to parents as a singular object. Les pusieron is referring as them both (plural). Both are used but the plural is more common. Colombia Spanish

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