In this lesson we’ll explore the last two clitic pronouns in Portuguese, nos and vos. Don’t forget that, for both nos and vos, no hyphens are required if they’re proclitics (placed before the verb), two hyphens are required if they’re mesoclitic (placed between two parts of verb), and one hyphen is required if they’re enclitics (placed after the verb).
Nos
Nos is equivalent to the English “us” or “to us”, as it is used for both direct and indirect objects. Examples:
O professor chamou-nos no final da aula. The professor called us at the end of class.
Não nos parece justa esta decisão. This decision doesn’t seem fair to us.
Bear in mind that the clitic Nos is also used for third person plural, when the preceding verb form ends in a nasal sound – am/em/êm/ão.
Vos
Vos is equivalent to the English “you” or “to you”, and it is also valid for both direct and indirect objects. Examples:
Eu ia comprar maçãs, mas deram-vos laranjas. I was going to buy apples, but you were given oranges.
Alguém vos deu uma cópia? Has someone given you a copy?