Pronouns

In this lesson we’ll explore two more clitic object pronouns in Portuguese, nos and vos. A quick reminder: With 1st person plural verbs that end in s, such as vamos, the s is dropped before adding the pronoun nos. For example: vamos + nos = vamo-nos, as in Nos Nos corresponds to us or to/for us, […]

Portuguese reflexive verbs are formed by adding the reflexive pronouns me, te, se, or nos. When the direct object or indirect object represents the same person or thing as the subject of the verb, it’s expressed by a reflexive pronoun. In other words, we use reflexive pronouns when the action is something one does to […]

In this lesson we’ll explore the first two clitic object pronouns in Portuguese, me and te. A few quick reminders: No hyphens are required if they’re proclitics (placed before the verb) 2 hyphens are required if they’re mesoclitic (placed between two parts of verb) 1 hyphen is required if they’re enclitics (placed after the verb) […]

In Portuguese, when we use a verb that asks for both a direct and indirect object, we can create a contraction by combining the 3rd person direct object pronoun with the indirect object pronoun. Naturally, this only applies to cases in which the objects are known, i.e. it’s clear from the context of the conversation […]

In this lesson, we’ll explore 3rd-person clitic object pronouns in Portuguese. We saved these for last because they are a little bit more complicated. Unlike the others we’ve practiced so far in the Clitic Pronouns unit, there are different forms depending on whether it’s a direct or indirect object pronoun. (Visit the introduction learning note […]

are one of the trickiest subjects to learn and master in Portuguese. But don’t despair — we’re here to help! Throughout these lessons you’ll learn how to use clitic object pronouns correctly, but first you should understand more about the difference between direct and indirect objects. The objects of a sentence can be represented in various […]

In this lesson, we’ll have a look at direct and indirect object pronouns in Portuguese. These fall into the category of , along with reflexive pronouns, which we will cover separately, but which follow many of the same rules. Keep in mind that we are focusing on how to use object pronouns in European Portuguese, as […]

When someone yells or a doctor says , there’s one thing they’re doing in common: using the mood! There are 2 types of imperatives in Portuguese: the affirmative and the negative, shown below respectively. In these examples, the speaker is talking to multiple people, i.e. using the vocês (you – plural) form. Regular Verbs in […]

Tiago makes his father’s life difficult as he gets ready for school in the morning. Hugo finally finds a way of motivating him to cooperate.

Dele vs seu? When forming 3rd person possessives in European Portuguese, how do we decide when to use dele, dela, deles, delas  vs.  seu, sua, seus, suas? Both ways are correct, so there’s no need to stress. It’s just a matter of whether you’re providing enough clarity / specificity. When in doubt: dele/dela/deles/delas is usually […]

The Ambiguity of Seu, Sua, Seus, and Suas To review, the Portuguese possessive pronouns/determiners for the third-person forms are the following: Subject Possessive Pronoun/Determiner English Equivalent Ele, Ela, Você His, Her/Hers, Your/Yours(formal) Eles, Elas Their, Theirs As you can see, ele, ela, você, eles, and elas all share the same exact possessive determiners! Since the determiners agree […]

Possessive Determiners vs. Possessive Pronouns In this unit, we’re going to learn about possessive determiners and possessive pronouns in European Portuguese, which both serve the function of expressing possession or ownership of something. In English, these are words like my, your, his, her, their, and our (possessive determiners) and mine, yours, his, hers, theirs, and […]