Ordering Several Clitics

Level 3

Keep several clitics in their established order.

How It Works

Compare Dao sam joj ga: auxiliary sam, recipient joj, object ga. The sequence stays together even when the cluster’s position changes in the clause.

With third-person auxiliary je, compare Dao joj ga je. Do not infer from sam that every auxiliary precedes the pronouns.

Reflexive se and the feminine object alternatives je/ju bring additional interactions. Learn those as linked patterns rather than improvising a new order from English translations.

Examples (3)

  1. Dao sam joj ga.

    I gave it to her.

    Sam comes before the dative joj and accusative ga; the speaker is male.

  2. Dao joj ga je.

    He gave it to her.

    Auxiliary je comes after the object clitics.

  3. Sutra ću ti ga donijeti.

    I will bring it to you tomorrow.

    Ću precedes recipient ti and object ga.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

Ordering Several CliticsLevel 3

Learn This First

Several clitics require internal ordering as well as a suitable placement domain.

Learn Next

Patterns that build on this one.