When you want to say to whom or for whom an action is performed, you use an indirect object pronoun. For example, if you suggest a plan to someone, "to someone" is the indirect object.
The Indirect Object Pronouns
| Pronoun | Meaning |
|---|---|
| me | to/for me |
| te | to/for you (informal) |
| lhe | to/for him, her, it, you (formal) |
| nos | to/for us |
| lhes | to/for them, you all (formal) |
Because lhe and lhes can refer to multiple people (him, her, or formal you), the context of the conversation usually makes it clear who is receiving the action or advice.
Default Placement: After the Verb
In standard European Portuguese, indirect object pronouns usually attach to the end of the verb with a hyphen.
| He suggests the next step to you. | Ele sugere-te o próximo passo. |
| The teacher used to recommend a different career to him. | A professora recomendava-lhe uma carreira diferente. |
| My father used to show me the goals for the future. | O meu pai mostrava-me os objetivos para o futuro. |
Placement with Infinitives
When a sentence uses a verb in the infinitive (the unconjugated dictionary form), the pronoun typically attaches directly to the end of that infinitive. This is common when using structures like estar a + infinitive (continuous actions) or verbs like querer (to want).
| You are explaining the secret of success to us. | Estás a explicar-nos o segredo do sucesso. |
| We want to suggest a good plan to them. | Queremos sugerir-lhes um bom plano. |
The "Magnet" Effect: Negative Words
Certain words act like magnets, pulling the pronoun to the front of the verb and dropping the hyphen. The most common magnets are negative words like não (not) and ninguém (nobody).
| Doesn't your boss explain to you how to achieve success? | O teu chefe não te explica como alcançar o sucesso? |
| She wants to have success, but nobody explains the plan to her. | Ela quer ter sucesso, mas ninguém lhe explica o plano. |