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Portuguese (Portugal)

### The default position

In European Portuguese, object pronouns typically attach to the end of the verb with a hyphen in simple affirmative sentences.

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Before we look at when this rule changes, let's meet two new indirect object pronouns meaning "to him/her/you" and "to them":

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### Negative words pull the pronoun

Certain words act like magnets, pulling the object pronoun to the **front** of the verb (and dropping the hyphen).

If a sentence contains a negative term like **não** (not), **nunca** (never), or **ninguém** (nobody), the pronoun shifts to the front.

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### Question words pull the pronoun

Question words are also magnets. When asking a question starting with words like **quem** (who), **o que** (what), or **onde** (where), the pronoun must also go before the verb.

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Pronoun placement with negatives and questions

adjective

adverb

conjunction

contraction

determiner

interjection

noun

numeral

particle

phrase

prefix

prep

preposition

pron

pronoun

sentence

verb

Demonstratives and the verb to be (isto é, o, a)

Subject pronouns and negation (eu, não)

Yes/no questions and question words (quem, o que)

Plural pronouns, articles, and verbs (somos, são, os, as)

Origin and possession (de, do, da)

Introductions (chamar-se)

Indefinite articles (um, uma, uns, umas)

The verb to be for locations (estar)

Contrasting the two verbs to be (ser vs. estar)

Preposition for locations (em, no, na)

Numbers 0 to 10 (zero, um, dois)

The verb to have (tenho, tem)

Regular -ar verbs (falar, trabalhar)

Regular -er verbs (comer, beber)

Regular -ir verbs (abrir, partir)

My, your, and our (o meu, a nossa)

His, hers, and theirs (dele, dela)

Adjective agreement and placement

Days of the week (segunda-feira)

Months of the year (janeiro)

Counting by tens to 100 (trinta, quarenta...)

Telling time (é uma, são...)

Asking about time (quando, a que horas)

The verb to go (ir)

Prepositions of direction (a, para)

Preposition a contractions (ao, à, aos, às)

Prepositions of place (ao lado de, em frente de...)

Demonstratives (este, esse, aquele)

Contractions with demonstratives (neste, desse, daquele)

Asking which and how many (qual, quanto)

Plurals ending in -ão (-ões, -ãos, -ães)

Plurals ending in consonants (-ns, -is, -es)

The verb to like (gostar de)

The verb to need (precisar de)

The verb to want (querer)

The verb can or may (poder)

Expressing obligation (ter de)

Adverbs of degree (muito, pouco)

Quantifiers (muito, pouco)

Comparatives (mais... do que, menos... do que)

Equality comparisons (tão... como)

The preposition com (comigo, contigo)

Coordinating conjunctions (e, mas, ou, porque)

The preposition por (pelo, pela)

Double negation (nunca, nada, ninguém)

Present continuous (estar a)

Near future (ir)

Past tense of regular -ar verbs

Past tense of regular -er and -ir verbs

Past tense of ser and ir (fui, foi)

Direct object pronouns (me, te, o, a, nos, os, as)

Greetings and courtesy (bom dia, obrigado)

Physical states with ter (ter fome, ter frio)

Asking the way (à direita, sempre em frente)

Colours (vermelho, amarelo, cor-de-rosa)

Money and shopping (custar, a moeda)

Getting around (o motorista, a paragem de autocarro)

Weather and seasons (faz calor, o inverno)

Omitting the subject pronoun

Where things are: ficar (Onde fica...?)

Richer questions: que + noun and é que

Numbers above 100 (cento e vinte, mil)

First-person sound changes (durmo, prefiro)

Advice and ability: dever and saber

Asking why: porquê and porque

When one thing happens: quando-clauses

Here and there: aqui, aí, ali (cá e lá)

Formal and plural possessives: o seu, o vosso

Irregular presents: ver, vir, dar

Present irregulars

Reflexive verbs (me, te, se, nos)

Stem-changing reflexives

Attached object pronouns (-lo, -la, -los, -las)

Nasal attached pronouns (-no, -na, -nos, -nas)

Pronoun placement with adverbs

Past tense of fazer, dizer, and trazer

Past tense of ter, estar, poder, and saber

Past tense of querer and vir

Past tense of ver, dar, and ler

Past tense reflexive verbs (-se)

Time elapsed in the past (há)

Already and not yet (já, ainda não)

Question	Answer
to him / to her / to you (formal)	lhe
to give	dar
the address	a morada
Who gives him the address?	Quem lhe dá a morada?
I do not give him the address.	Eu não lhe dou a morada.
to them / to you (plural formal)	lhes
to show	mostrar
What do you show them?	O que lhes mostras?
the truth	a verdade
We never show them the truth.	Nós nunca lhes mostramos a verdade.
to lend	emprestar
They do not lend me the car.	Eles não me emprestam o carro.
to promise	prometer
Do you promise me the truth?	Prometes-me a verdade?
the advice	o conselho
important	importante
I promise you a very important piece of advice.	Prometo-te um conselho muito importante.
Who gives you that advice?	Quem te dá esse conselho?
It is important, but I do not promise it.	É importante, mas não o prometo.
Where do you give them the money?	Onde lhes dás o dinheiro?
Nobody lends him the money.	Ninguém lhe empresta o dinheiro.