When we want to replace both the direct object (the thing) and the indirect object (the person) in a sentence, we combine them into a single word. At the library, this lets us say things like "I ask him for it" instead of "I ask the librarian for the book."
Combining Third-Person Pronouns
When a third-person indirect object (lhe or lhes) meets a third-person direct object (o, a, os, or as), they merge together.
| Indirect Pronoun | Direct Pronoun | Contraction |
|---|---|---|
| lhe / lhes | o | lho |
| lhe / lhes | a | lha |
| lhe / lhes | os | lhos |
| lhe / lhes | as | lhas |
Notice that the final vowel of the contraction always matches the gender and number of the direct object (the thing being handled). The lh- part covers all third-person recipients (him, her, you, or them).
| When I need the dictionary, I ask him for it. | Quando preciso do dicionário, peço-lho. |
| The girl asks for the magazine, and I hand it to her. | A rapariga pede a revista, e entrego-lha. |
| When the students need the books, the librarian lends them to them. | Quando os alunos precisam dos livros, o bibliotecário empresta-lhos. |
| They want the library keys, and you hand them to them. | Elas querem as chaves da biblioteca, e o senhor entrega-lhas. |
Pronoun Placement
These contractions follow the exact same placement rules as single pronouns. By default, they attach to the end of the conjugated verb with a hyphen (as seen in the examples above).
However, negative words like não (not) act as "magnets." They pull the pronoun block in front of the verb and remove the hyphen.
| The student has a fine, but the librarian doesn't show it to him. | O aluno tem uma multa, mas o bibliotecário não lha mostra. |
| Your brother wants the dictionaries, but I'm not giving them to him. | O teu irmão quer os dicionários, mas não lhos dou. |