Direct Object Pronouns and Indirect Object Pronouns

[yellowbird]

I'm having a hard time differentiating between these two.

If anyone could provide some examples in English and Spanish as well I would very much appreciate it; I believe the only way I'm ever going to learn the difference is by seeing the comparisons in actual sentences.

Also, what would you do in a situation like this sentence in Spanish:

He gave the gift to her.

[2012bulgara77]

In the sentence the action of the verb falls on the object. We say the direct object without any preposition.

ex.:    Tomo el cafe'    -  I take the coffee

          Leo el libro    -  I read the book

there is no preposition before "cafe" and "libro"

The opposite , we say the indirect object with some preposition

ex.:      Hablo a mi hermana  -  I talk to my sister

            Trabajo con papa'      _  I work with my dad

            Pienso en ti -        I think about you

There is preposition before the object. It could be : "a , con , para , por , en , de".

When the indirect object is with preposition "a"  we can substitute it with pronouns indirect object.  The other prepositions could not be substituted with pronouns. 

Hablo a mi hermana. Le hablo  - I talk to my sister . I talk to her.           

[2012bulgara77]

In the sentence : " He gave the gift to her " - El dio' el regalo a ella.

El regalo - is direct object

a ella - is the indirect object

Substituting " el regalo " with pronouns became:

El se lo dio'

se/a ella/

lo/el realo/