Enclisis (Pronoun After Verb)

Level 2

Ênclise (enclisis) is the placement of object pronouns (like me, te, o, nos) after the verb. It is the standard position in European Portuguese and formal Brazilian writing, especially when starting a sentence.

How It Works

Enclisis is a fundamental part of Portuguese clitic placement. While Brazilian Portuguese (BP) often prefers proclisis in speech, enclisis remains the formal standard and the everyday norm in European Portuguese (EP).

1. When to use Enclisis:

  • Starting a sentence: You cannot start a sentence with an unstressed pronoun in formal Portuguese. Correct: Amo-te. Incorrect: Te amo.
  • Affirmative Imperatives: Used for positive commands. Example: Senta-te! (Sit down!). Note: Negative imperatives trigger proclisis (e.g., Não te sentes).
  • Affirmative main clauses: When no 'attractor' words are present.

2. Proclisis Triggers (Attractors):
Enclisis is blocked if the verb is preceded by:

  • Negation: Words like não, nunca, or jamais.
  • Adverbs: Words like sempre, já, or talvez (unless followed by a comma).
  • Indefinite Pronouns: Words like alguém, tudo, or todos.
  • Question/Exclamative Words: Words like quem, que, or onde.

3. Special Spelling Changes:
When using the pronouns o, a, os, as, the verb ending often changes:

  • Verbs ending in -r, -s, or -z: Use -lo/-la. Example: Comprar + o = Comprá-lo.
  • Verbs ending in nasal sounds (-m, -ão): Use -no/-na. Example: Viram + o = Viram-no.

Examples (5)

  1. Dê-me o livro, por favor.

    Give me the book, please.

    Word by Word: Give-me the book, for favor.

    In an imperative (command) starting the sentence, the pronoun 'me' must follow the verb.

  2. Vi-o na rua ontem.

    I saw him in the street yesterday.

    Word by Word: Saw-him in the street yesterday.

    Standard enclisis in an affirmative sentence starting with the verb.

  3. Eles entregaram-nos o relatório.

    They delivered the report to us.

    Word by Word: They delivered-us the report.

    The pronoun 'nos' follows the verb ending in a nasal sound (-m).

  4. Vou comprá-lo amanhã.

    I am going to buy it tomorrow.

    Word by Word: I go buy-it tomorrow.

    When 'comprar' loses its '-r', the pronoun 'o' becomes '-lo' and the verb gains an accent.

  5. Chamaram-na para a reunião.

    They called her for the meeting.

    Word by Word: Called-her for the meeting.

    Because 'chamaram' ends in a nasal sound, the pronoun 'a' changes to '-na'.

Common Mistakes

  • Starting a formal sentence with a pronoun.

    Me ajuda com isso.
    Ajude-me com isso.

    While 'Me ajuda' is common in casual Brazilian speech, formal grammar requires enclisis at the start of a sentence.

  • Attaching a pronoun to a past participle.

    Tenho visto-o.
    Tenho-o visto.

    Pronouns can never be attached to the end of a past participle (verbs ending in -ado/-ido).

  • Forgetting the -lo/-la transformation.

    Eu quero comer-o.
    Eu quero comê-lo.

    When a verb ends in -r, you must drop the -r and change the pronoun to -lo/-la.

How It Connects

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Enclisis (Pronoun After Verb)Level 2

Learn This First

To learn enclisis (placing the pronoun after the verb), you must first be comfortable with the forms of direct and indirect object pronouns. It is also helpful to understand the concept of pronoun placement (clisis) by comparing it to proclisis, which is the other common position for pronouns in Portuguese.

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