In Portuguese, compound tenses are formed using the auxiliary verb ter (to have) followed by a past participle, such as tinha dado (had given) or tenho testado (have been testing).
Attaching Pronouns to the Auxiliary
When replacing a direct or indirect object with a pronoun in a compound tense, the pronoun attaches directly to the conjugated auxiliary verb with a hyphen. It never attaches to the past participle.
| I had given the new version to the creator. I had shown him the prototype. | Eu tinha dado a nova versão ao criador. Tinha-lhe mostrado o protótipo. |
Spelling Adjustments: -no and -na
Remember that when a verb form ends in -m (like tinham, tem, or têm), the direct object pronouns o, a, os, and as change to -no, -na, -nos, and -nas. This rule applies perfectly to the auxiliary verb ter in compound tenses.
| The mechanic was complicated, therefore they had simplified it. | A mecânica era complicada, portanto eles tinham-na simplificado. |
| The prototype is addictive. They have been playing it every day. | O protótipo é viciante. Eles têm-no jogado todos os dias. |
Magnet Words Pull Pronouns Forward
Just like in simple tenses, certain words act as "magnets" and pull the pronoun before the conjugated verb. If the clause contains a negative word (like não or nem) or a relative pronoun (like quem), the pronoun goes immediately before the auxiliary verb ter.
| The scoring happens in the last round. The player had not understood it. | A pontuação acontece na última ronda. O jogador não a tinha compreendido. |
| I have a new game. The creator to whom I had given it lost it. | Tenho um jogo novo. O criador a quem o tinha dado perdeu-o. |