dar-lhe-ei/far-se-á
Mesóclise No Futuro Do Presente
Mesoclisis (mesóclise) is the 'middle-placement' of pronouns. It only occurs with the Futuro do Presente (Future) and Futuro do Pretérito (Conditional) when no words attract the pronoun to the front.
How It Works
Mesoclisis is one of the most distinctive and formal features of Portuguese grammar. While rare in casual Brazilian speech, it remains a requirement in formal European Portuguese writing and high-register Brazilian legal or literary texts.
1. How to Build It:
You take the full infinitive form of the verb, split it before the tense ending, and insert the pronoun in the middle.
- Dar (to give) + lhe (to him) + ei (I will) = Dar-lhe-ei.
- Falar (to speak) + ia (I would) + nos (to us) = Falar-nos-ia.
2. Special Rules for o, a, os, as:
When using direct object pronouns, the final '-r' of the infinitive is dropped, and the pronoun changes to -lo, -la, -los, -las. You must also add an accent to the stem:
- -ar verbs: add an acute accent (á). Example: Amá-lo-ei.
- -er verbs: add a circumflex accent (ê). Example: Vê-lo-emos.
- -ir verbs: no accent is added. Example: Parti-lo-emos.
3. Irregular Verbs:
The verbs fazer, dizer, and trazer use their shortened future stems: far-, dir-, and trar-.
- Fazer + se + á = Far-se-á (It will be done).
4. When NOT to use it:
If there is a 'trigger' word before the verb, proclisis takes over and mesoclisis is cancelled. Common triggers include:
- Negation: Não lhe darei o livro.
- Question words: Quem lhe dará o livro?
- Subordinating conjunctions: Espero que lhe deem o livro.
- Adverbs and Indefinite Pronouns: Alguém lhe dará o livro.
Examples (5)
- Dir-lhe-ei a verdade assim que a souber.
I will tell him/her the truth as soon as I know it.
Word by Word: Tell-to him/her-will I the truth as soon as it I know.
Uses the irregular stem 'dir-' from 'dizer' in the future tense with the indirect object 'lhe'.
- Far-se-á o que for necessário para resolver o problema.
What is necessary will be done to solve the problem.
Word by Word: Do-itself-will the what be necessary for to solve the problem.
A passive construction using the irregular stem 'far-' from 'fazer' with the reflexive/passive 'se'.
- Se tivéssemos tempo, vê-lo-íamos com prazer.
If we had time, we would see him with pleasure.
Word by Word: If we had time, see-him-would we with pleasure.
Demonstrates the conditional tense (vê-lo-íamos) where the '-r' is dropped and the pronoun 'o' becomes '-lo'.
- Entregar-te-ão os documentos amanhã.
They will deliver the documents to you tomorrow.
Word by Word: Deliver-to you-will they the documents tomorrow.
A standard future tense mesoclisis using the second person pronoun 'te'.
- Ajudar-nos-iam se pedíssemos?
Would they help us if we asked?
Word by Word: Help-us-would they if we asked?
A conditional question starting with the verb, requiring mesoclisis in formal registers.
Common Mistakes
Using enclisis (pronoun at the end) with future or conditional tenses.
Darei-te o presente amanhã.Dar-te-ei o presente amanhã.In formal Portuguese, you cannot attach a pronoun to the end of a future or conditional verb form. You must use mesoclisis.
Using mesoclisis even when a negation word is present.
Não dar-lhe-ei nada.Não lhe darei nada.Negative words like 'não' are 'magnetic' and pull the pronoun to the front (proclisis), which overrides the need for mesoclisis.
Forgetting the accent when the '-r' is dropped for direct objects.
Ve-lo-ei amanhã.Vê-lo-ei amanhã.When the infinitive ends in -er and the -r is dropped, you must add a circumflex accent (ê) to maintain the closed vowel sound.
Related Patterns
- Proclisis (Pronoun Before Verb)
Proclisis is the alternative placement that occurs when 'trigger' words attract the pronoun to the front, cancelling mesoclisis.
Level 2 - não + Pronoun + VerbProclisis with Negation
Negation is the most common trigger that prevents mesoclisis from occurring.
Level 2 - farei/direi/trareiFuturo Irregular (Fazer/Dizer/Trazer)
These are the irregular future forms that also use irregular stems when forming mesoclisis (far-, dir-, trar-).
Level 3 - -lo/-laObject Pronoun After -R/-S/-Z Verbs
The rules for changing direct object pronouns after an infinitive stem are identical to those used in mesoclisis.
Level 3 - Brazilian vs European Clitic Placement
Explains why mesoclisis is common in formal European Portuguese but considered archaic in Brazil.
Level 3 - falar-lhe-iaMesoclisis with Conditional Tense
The conditional counterpart to future mesoclisis, following the exact same structural rules.
Level 3
Practice dar-lhe-ei/far-se-á in Bubblegum
Poppy, your AI tutor, writes Portuguese lessons at your level. Tap any grammar point in a lesson to see its full explanation.
