Direct & Indirect Object Pronouns
Pronomes de Complemento Direto e Indireto • A2 • 12 cartões
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Direct Object Pronouns (o, a, os, as)
Direct object pronouns replace nouns that receive the action of the verb directly (whom or what).
📌 Nota gramatical
In European Portuguese, direct object pronouns are o (masculine singular), a (feminine singular), os (masculine plural), and as (feminine plural). They answer the question 'quem?' (whom?) or 'o quê?' (what?) after the verb. In affirmative independent clauses, they follow the verb and are attached with a hyphen (enclisis).
Exemplo
Direct Object Pronoun Changes after -r, -s, -z
Direct object pronouns o, a, os, as change to lo, la, los, las when following a verb ending in -r, -s, or -z.
📌 Nota gramatical
When a verb ends in -r, -s, or -z, the final consonant drops off, and the pronoun (o, a, os, as) transforms into lo, la, los, las. For example, 'comprar' + 'o' becomes 'comprá-lo'. If the verb ends in nasal sounds (-m, -ão, -õe), the pronouns become -no, -na, -nos, -nas.
Exemplo
Indirect Object Pronouns (lhe, lhes)
Indirect object pronouns replace nouns that receive the action indirectly (to whom / for whom).
📌 Nota gramatical
The indirect object pronouns for the third person singular and plural are 'lhe' (to him, to her, to you formal) and 'lhes' (to them, to you formal plural). They do not change gender and are used to replace prepositional phrases starting with 'a' referring to people.
Exemplo
Pronoun Placement with 'Não' (Proclisis)
Negative words like 'não' pull the object pronoun before the verb (proclisis).
📌 Nota gramatical
While affirmative sentences require the pronoun after the verb in European Portuguese, words that trigger proclisis (like 'não', 'nunca', 'ninguém', 'já', 'ainda', or interrogative words like 'onde', 'quem') force the pronoun to go before the conjugated verb, without a hyphen.
Exemplo
Pronoun Placement in Questions (Proclisis)
Interrogative words trigger proclisis, placing the pronoun before the verb.
📌 Nota gramatical
When asking a question starting with an interrogative word (such as 'onde', 'quem', 'como', 'quando', 'porque'), the object pronoun must be placed immediately before the conjugated verb.
Exemplo
Pronouns with Progressive 'estar a + infinitive'
In European Portuguese, progressive action uses 'estar a + infinitive', and pronouns can attach to the infinitive.
📌 Nota gramatical
When using the continuous structure 'estar a + infinitive' (e.g., 'estou a comer'), the object pronoun can be attached to the infinitive by dropping the final -r and adding -l (lo, la, etc.) or placed before the auxiliary verb 'estar'.
Exemplo
Combining Direct and Indirect Pronouns
When both direct and indirect object pronouns are used together, the indirect comes first.
📌 Nota gramatical
In Portuguese, if you have both an indirect and a direct object pronoun in the same sentence, the indirect pronoun always precedes the direct pronoun. They combine into contractions (e.g., lhe + o = lho).
Exemplo
Contractions of Direct and Indirect Pronouns (lho, lha, lhos, lhas)
Indirect pronouns (lhe/lhes) combine with direct pronouns (o/a/os/as) to form single combined forms.
📌 Nota gramatical
The combinations of lhe/lhes with o/a/os/as merge phonetically: lhe + o = lho, lhe + a = lha, lhe + os = lhos, lhe + as = lhas. The plural indirect 'lhes' also contracts the same way (lhes + o = lho/lhos depending on regional preference, though lho/lha are standard).
Exemplo
First and Second Person Object Pronouns (me, te, nos)
First and second person pronouns work similarly for direct and indirect objects without gender distinction.
📌 Nota gramatical
The pronouns 'me' (me/to me), 'te' (you/to you informal), and 'nos' (us/to us) serve as both direct and indirect object pronouns. They follow the same placement rules: enclitic in affirmative sentences, proclitic after negative words or question words.
Exemplo
Pronoun Placement with Subordinating Conjunctions (que, porque, se)
Subordinating conjunctions trigger proclisis, placing the pronoun before the verb.
📌 Nota gramatical
Conjunctions like 'que' (that), 'porque' (because), 'se' (if), and 'quando' (when) act as 'attractors' in European Portuguese. They pull the object pronoun in front of the verb.
Exemplo
Reflexive Pronouns as Objects (se)
The reflexive pronoun 'se' is used when the subject performs the action upon itself.
📌 Nota gramatical
At A2 level, 'se' is commonly used for daily routines and impersonal constructions. Like other object pronouns, it follows the verb in affirmative main clauses and precedes it after negative words or conjunctions.
Exemplo
Summary: Enclisis vs. Proclisis in European Portuguese
The core rule of European Portuguese object pronouns is choosing between enclisis (after verb) and proclisis (before verb).
📌 Nota gramatical
In European Portuguese, default affirmative main clauses use enclisis (verb-pronoun with hyphen). Trigger words (não, já, se, que, question words, pronouns) require proclisis (pronoun-verb). Mastering this binary is essential for authentic European Portuguese.
Exemplo
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