Brazilian Portuguese object pronouns are words that replace a nounNo definition set for nounLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. that is not the subjectNo definition set for subjectLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. of a sentence. Typically, these are nouns that are affected by the action of a verbNo definition set for verbLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. or that follow a prepositionNo definition set for prepositionLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum.. Most object pronouns will be translated into English using words like “me,” “him,” “us,” or “them.”
There are two main categories of object pronouns in Brazilian Portuguese, which follow different grammatical rules.
Stressed Object Pronouns → These pronouns always follow a preposition.
Eu falei com o João ontem. → Eu falei com ele ontem.
I talked to João yesterday. → I talked to him yesterday.
Unstressed Object Pronouns → These do not follow a preposition, though sometimes they replace a noun that would have followed a preposition.
Eu dei flores para Maria. → Eu dei-as para Maria.
I gave flowers to Maria. → I gave them to Maria.
Eu dei flores para Maria. → Eu dei-lhe flores.
I gave flowers to Maria. → I gave her flowers.
Unstressed object pronouns come in several different varieties: direct object pronouns, indirect object pronouns, reflexive pronouns, and reciprocal pronouns.
In this post, we’ll cover the forms of all of the object pronouns in Brazilian Portuguese, and give you an introduction to how and when to use each type of pronoun. Let’s start!
What are the object pronouns in Brazilian Portuguese?
The forms of the object pronouns in Brazilian Portuguese are summarized in the table below.
eu(I) | mim | me | |
tu(you) | ti | te | |
você(you) | você | o / lhe / sea / lhe / se |
ele(he, it) | ele, si | |
ela(she, it) | ela, si | |
nós(we) | nós | nos | |
vós(you) | vós | vos | |
vocês(you) | vocês |
eles(they) | eles, si | os / lhes / se | |
elas(they) | elas, si | as / lhes / se |
Keep reading to learn more about these two main types of pronouns and when to use each one!
What are stressed pronouns in Brazilian Portuguese?
Stressed pronouns in Brazilian Portuguese always follow prepositions. Their forms are given below:
eu(I) | mim | comigo |
tu(you)você(you, sg.) | tivocê | contigocom você |
ele(he, it)ela(she, it) | ele, siela, si | com elecom ela |
nós(we) | nós | conosco |
vós(you pl.)vocês(you pl.) | vósvocês | convoscocom vocês |
eles(they)elas(they) | eles, sielas, si | com elescom elas |
Generally you will see the full form of a stressed pronoun, but some object pronouns will form a contractionNo definition set for contractionLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. when used after the word com(with). For example:
Você quer ir ao cinema comigo?
Do you want to go to the cinema with me?
→ comigo = com(with) + mim(me)
However, this does not take place if nós(us) and vós(you, pl.) are followed by outros(other), mesmos(selves), todos(all), ambos(both).
Terá que fazer o trabalho com nós mesmos.
You will (really) have to do the work with us (ourselves).
When to use stressed pronouns in Brazilian Portuguese?
Stressed pronouns should always follow a prepositionNo definition set for prepositionLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum., which means that you’re most likely to use stressed pronouns used to replace nouns that are used…
…as indirect objects → These are nouns that benefit from the action of a verb, often by receiving something from the subject.
O garçom serve o café para ela.
The waiter serves the coffee to her.
→ She receives the coffee.
…as agents of passiveNo definition set for passiveLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. verbs → This is the noun that performs an action of a passive verb (this is the noun that follows “by” in English).
O livro foi escrito por Miguel. → O livro foi escrito por ele.
The book was written by Miguel. → The book was written by him.
Check out our post on the passive voice in Brazilian Portuguese to learn more!
…in other types of prepositional phrasesNo definition set for prepositional phrasesLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum.→ Other nouns that follow prepositions may be used in phrases that complete the meaning of a noun, verb, or adjective, or that simply provide descriptive information.
Tenho toda a confiança em ti.
I have all the trust in you.
Ele passou por cima de nós.
You may occasionally see stressed pronouns used in other contexts as well, but the pronoun will always follow a preposition. For example, in the sentence below, the stressed pronoun replaces a direct objectNo definition set for direct objectLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. that is placed after a(to) as a form of emphasis.
→ This is mostly done for objects of feelings, and only for emphasis.
What are unstressed object pronouns in Brazilian Portuguese?
The unstressed object pronouns (also known as “clitic pronouns”) in Brazilian Portuguese are object pronouns that typically do not follow prepositions. Instead they appear in other positions in a sentence. They can appear:
attached to the end of a verbNo definition set for verbLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. via a hyphen:
before the verb as a separate word (often informal):
A mãe lhe comprou um brinquedo.
The mother bought her a toy.
between the verb stemNo definition set for stemLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. and the ending (rare, only in certain tenses):
Ajudar-nos-ia se chegasse um pouco mais cedo.
It would help us if you arrive a little earlier.
The forms of the unstressed pronouns in Brazilian Portuguese are given below. Though they are divided into different categories, all unstressed pronouns are placed in the sentence according to the rules above.
eu(I) | me | |
tu(you sg.) | te | |
você(you sg.) | o, a | lhe | se | |
ele(he, it)ela(she, it) | oa | lhe | se | |
nós(we) | nos | nos |
vós(you pl.) | vos | vos |
vocês(you pl.) | vos / vocês / os, as* | vos / lhes* | vos / se* | vos / se |
eles(they m.) | os | lhes | se | se |
elas(they f.) | as |
* In formal language, the object pronouns for vocês should be os,as / lhes / se, you will sometimes hear vocês used for extra clarity and vos can also be used in informal contexts.
Below, we’ll give you a brief introduction to each category of unstressed pronouns, and direct you towards resources where you can learn more.
What are direct object pronouns in Brazilian Portuguese?
Direct object pronouns are unstressed object pronouns that are used to replace nouns that are directly affected by the action of a verb. In Brazilian Portuguese, these are nouns that typically are not preceded by a preposition.
Trouxe um bolo para Maria. → Trouxe-o para Maria.
I brought a cake for Maria. → I brought it for Maria.
The direct object of a sentence answers the question o que/quem(what/who).
To learn more about direct object pronouns check out our post on direct and indirect object pronouns in Brazilian Portuguese!
What are indirect object pronouns in Brazilian Portuguese?
Indirect object pronouns are unstressed object pronouns that are used to replace nouns that benefit from the action of a verb, often by receiving something from the subject. Indirect object nouns are typically preceded by a preposition like para(for), and represent a person “to whom” or “for whom” something is done. For example:
A mãe comprou um brinquedo para a Sabrina. → A mãe comprou-lhe um brinquedo.
The mother bought a toy for Sabrina. → The mother bought her a toy.
→ Notice that the preposition para disappears when we use the indirect object pronoun!
The indirect object of a sentence answers the question para quem?(to whom?).
To learn more about direct object pronouns check out our post on direct and indirect object pronouns in Brazilian Portuguese!
What are reflexive vs. reciprocal pronouns in Brazilian Portuguese?
Reflexive and reciprocal pronouns are used differently in terms of meaning:
Reflexive pronouns are used when the subject and object are identical (these are translated using “-self/-selves” pronouns)
I saw myself in the mirror.
Reciprocal pronouns are used when the subject and object both act on one another (these are translated as “each other”)
As crianças abraçaram-se.
The children hugged each other.
But though the meanings of these pronouns are different, when the subject is plural, their forms are identical, so often sentences that use these pronouns can have more than one meaning:
Joaquim e Pedro enganaram-se.
✅Joaquim and Pedro deceived themselves. (reflexive)
✅Joaquim and Pedro deceived each other. (reciprocal)
To avoid ambiguity, use the following expressions with them:
add a mim mesmo(myself), a ti mesmo(yourself), a si mesmo(yourself), to reflexives:
Joaquim e Pedro enganaram-se a si mesmos.
Joaquim and Pedro deceived themselves.
add a mim mesmo(myself) to reciprocals:
Joaquim e Pedro enganaram-se um ao outro.
Joaquim and Pedro deceived each other.
You can learn more about these types of pronouns from our post on reflexive and reciprocal pronouns in Brazilian Portuguese.
In summary
In this post, we’ve discussed the stressed and unstressed forms of object pronouns in Brazilian Portuguese and learned that…
The stressed forms are always preceded by prepositions and can function as:
in other types of prepositional phrases
The unstressed forms are not preceded by prepositions, but can be used in three different positions:
attached to the end of a verb by a hyphen (most common)
before the verb (often informal)
between the verb stem and the ending (rarely, and in restricted contexts)
Unstressed pronouns can be used for several different types of objects, and their form sometimes changes depending on the type of object they replace, placing them into four categories:
Direct object pronouns (“them”)
Indirect object pronouns (“to/for them”)
Reflexive pronouns (“themselves”)
Reciprocal pronouns (“each other”)
Review what you’ve learned with this study sheet with all of the contracted forms of object pronouns in Brazilian Portuguese, or maybe instead you’re ready to practice using the proper form of object pronouns in Brazilian Portuguese!
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