agruparlos

Agruparlos is the combination of the Spanish verb agrupar with the direct object pronoun los, forming the single word agruparlos that means “to group them.” It exemplifies how Spanish can attach clitic pronouns to verbs to express objects directly within a verb form, rather than as a separate word.

Morphology and usage context: The pronoun los functions as a masculine plural direct object and can attach to various non-finite and finite verb forms. Common contexts include infinitives (agruparlos), gerunds (agrupándolos), and affirmative imperatives (Agrúpalos). In negative imperatives or when the pronoun is placed before the verb, the pronoun may appear separately (No los agrupes, No los agrupen), depending on the tense and mood.

Grammatical notes: The attachment of pronouns to infinitives or gerunds is a standard feature in Spanish, allowing the pronoun to be part of the same verb form. Accent marks may be used in certain imperative forms to preserve the original stress pattern, for example in affirmative tú commands such as Agrúpalos. Variants exist for different subjects: Usted agrúpelos, Ustedes agrúpenlos, Vosotros agrúpadlos, with corresponding negative forms No los agrupe, No los agrupe, No los agrupen, No los agrupéis, No los agrupen as appropriate.

Examples:

- Tenemos que agruparlos por categorías.

- Agrúpalos y llévalos al almacén.

- No los agrupes todavía.

- Ustedes agrúpenlos cuando terminen.

See also: Spanish clitic pronouns, object pronouns, and verb morphology.