Just like we combined third-person pronouns in the last lesson to say "give it to him," we can also combine first and second-person pronouns with direct objects. When dealing with mail and deliveries, this lets us easily say "Give it to me," "I will send it to you," or "She delivered it to us."
To Me and To You
When the indirect objects me (to me) and te (to you) meet a direct object (o, a, os, or as), they merge into a single short word.
| Indirect Pronoun | Direct Pronoun | Contraction |
|---|
| me | o/a/os/as | mo, ma, mos, mas |
| te | o/a/os/as | to, ta, tos, tas |
Just like with third-person pronouns, the final vowel of the contraction always matches the gender and number of the direct object (the thing being handled).
To Us
When the indirect object nos (to us) meets a direct object pronoun, the spelling changes slightly. The -s at the end of nos drops, the direct pronoun takes an -l-, and the two parts are connected with a hyphen.
| Indirect Pronoun | Direct Pronoun | Contraction |
|---|
| nos | o/a/os/as | no-lo, no-la, no-los, no-las |
Placement and Magnets
These contractions follow the standard pronoun placement rules. Usually, they attach directly to the end of the conjugated verb or infinitive with a hyphen.
However, "magnet" words—such as negative words (não) and question words (quando, onde)—pull the contraction to the front of the verb. The contraction sits as a separate word before the verb.
(Note: For "no-lo" contractions, the hyphen inside the word itself remains, even when it is pulled away from the verb!)