Pronoun Before an Infinitive After a Preposition

Level 5

With a preposition + infinitive, the pronoun has two correct places: para o facer or para facelo (to do it). Both mean the same.

How It Works

Two correct orders

  • Chamei para o saudar. / Chamei para saudalo.
  • Marchou sen te ver. / Marchou sen verte.
  • Estou farto de lle dicir o mesmo. / Estou farto de dicirlle o mesmo.

This works with para, sen, de, a, por, ata and other prepositions. The order before the infinitive is very traditional and is common in careful writing, but both are standard.

Watch the form

  • Before the infinitive: o, a, os, as. Never lo here.
  • After the infinitive: lo, la, los, las, with the -r dropped: facelo, velo, saudalo. Add a written accent only when the normal stress rules call for one.

With the personal infinitive

The order before the infinitive is especially handy with the personal infinitive: Deixeino na mesa para o collermos despois (I left it on the table so we could pick it up later).

Other verb phrases

A similar choice exists in verb phrases like teño que che dicir; see pronouns in verb phrases.

Examples (6)

  1. Chamei para o saudar.

    I called to greet him.

  2. Chamei para saudalo.

    I called to greet him.

    The same sentence with the pronoun attached: saudar + o → saudalo.

  3. Marchou sen te ver.

    He left without seeing you.

  4. Estou farto de lle dicir sempre o mesmo.

    I am tired of always telling him the same thing.

  5. Collín o libro para o ler na praia.

    I took the book to read it at the beach.

  6. Deixeino na mesa para o collermos despois.

    I left it on the table so we could pick it up later.

    Collermos is a personal infinitive; the pronoun sits comfortably before it.

Common Mistakes

  • Using lo before the infinitive.

    Collín o libro para lo ler.
    Collín o libro para o ler.

    Lo only appears attached after a form ending in -r or -s. Before the infinitive the pronoun is o.

  • Attaching o without changing the form.

    Collín o libro para lero.
    Collín o libro para lelo.

    Attached after -r, the r drops and o becomes lo: ler + o → lelo.

  • Keeping the -r before lo, as in Spanish.

    Chamei para saudarlo.
    Chamei para saudalo.

    When lo is attached, the -r of the infinitive drops: saudar + o → saudalo. Saudarlo copies Spanish saludarlo.

How It Connects

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

Pronoun Before an Infinitive After a PrepositionLevel 5

Learn This First

After a preposition, an unstressed pronoun can precede an infinitive or attach to it.