Aprobarlos

Aprobarlos is the combination in Spanish of the verb aprobar, meaning to approve, with the direct object pronoun los, meaning them. It is not a separate word with its own meaning; rather, aprobarlos is the infinitive form of aprobar with a clitic pronoun attached, used when the object being approved is masculine and plural and the referent is clear from context.

Formation and grammatical notes: Clitic pronouns in Spanish attach to verbs in non-finite forms such as the infinitive, gerund, and participle. When los refers to masculine plural nouns, it can attach to the infinitive, yielding aprobarlos. The feminine plural counterpart would be aprobarlas, and other combinations follow the same pattern. The pronoun must agree in number and gender with its antecedent and is placed directly after the verb stem in these non-finite constructions.

Usage and examples: Aprobarlos commonly appears in sentences where the act of approving is described in an infinitive clause. Examples include: El comité quiere aprobarlos. (The committee wants to approve them.) Estamos por aprobarlos. (We are about to approve them.) Aprobándolos, se procederá a la votación. (By approving them, the vote will proceed.) In contexts with a negative or different tense, the pronoun may appear in other positions: No los aprueban. (They do not approve them.)

Notes: In modern usage, aprobarlos is typically encountered within clauses that require an infinitive, such as voy a aprobarlos or debemos aprobarlos. The feminine plural equivalent is aprobarlas. For guidance on pronoun attachment and stress, consult Spanish grammar resources and the Real Academia Española.

See also: Pronombres de objeto directo, Verbo aprobar, Clíticos en español.