Colocálo

Colocálo is the informal imperative form used in Rioplatense Spanish (primarily Argentina and Uruguay) formed from the verb colocar with the second-person singular vos form plus the clitic lo. It corresponds to the English “put it” or “place it.” The combination colocá + lo yields colocálo, a single word when written.

Grammatically, colocá is the affirmative imperative for vos (the informal you) and lo is a direct object pronoun meaning “it.” In this construction the pronoun is attached to the verb, which is common in Spanish; stress is typically kept on the syllable of the verb stem, hence the accent in colocálo to signal the correct pronunciation. Negative forms differ, as with other verbs, and would use the appropriate vos negative construction (for example, no colocálo).

Usage and examples: Colocálo en la mesa. Colocálo ahí, por favor. This form is widely heard in everyday speech, informal instructions, and casual dialogues in regions where the vos form is customary. It can contrast with tú-based imperatives found in other dialects, such as colócalo, used with tú in many Hispanic varieties.

Notes: Learners often encounter colocálo and confuse it with colócalo, the tú-imperative version used in dialects that favor the tú form. The distinction reflects regional verb forms rather than differences in meaning. Colocálo is characteristic of informal, regional Spanish and is less common in formal writing, which typically relies on usted/ustedes forms.