Proclisis (Pronoun Before Verb)
Proclisis is the placement of object pronouns before the verb. While it is the standard way to speak in Brazil, it is triggered by specific 'attractive' words in formal writing and European Portuguese.
How It Works
Proclisis is one of three ways to place pronouns in Portuguese.
1. The Brazilian vs. European Context
In everyday Brazilian Portuguese (BP), proclisis is the default. You will hear people start sentences with pronouns (Me dá um café), even though formal rules technically forbid it. In European Portuguese (EP), proclisis is only used when a specific 'trigger' word is present; otherwise, they use enclisis.
2. Mandatory Triggers (Attractive Words)
In formal writing and EP, you must use proclisis if the verb is preceded by:
- Negatives: não, nunca, jamais, ninguém. (Ex: Não me viu.)
- Relative Pronouns: que, quem, onde. (Ex: O homem que te ligou.)
- Indefinite Pronouns: alguém, tudo, todos. (Ex: Tudo se resolveu.)
- Adverbs: sempre, já, também, talvez. (Ex: Sempre nos ajudam.)
- Question Words: Quem, Como, Onde. (Ex: Quem te disse isso?)
- Subordinating Conjunctions: quando, se, porque, embora. (Ex: Quando nos chamarem...)
- Optative & Exclamatory Sentences: Sentences expressing wishes or strong emotion. (Ex: Deus te guarde!)
- Gerund with 'Em': When the verb is in the gerund form preceded by 'em'. (Ex: Em se falando de...)
3. Writing Rule
Unlike enclisis, proclisis never uses a hyphen. The pronoun stands as a separate word before the verb.
Examples (6)
- Ela não me disse a verdade.
She didn't tell me the truth.
Word by Word: She not me told the truth.
The negative word 'não' attracts the pronoun 'me' to the position before the verb.
- O livro que te emprestei é bom.
The book that I lent you is good.
Word by Word: The book that you (I) lent is good.
The relative pronoun 'que' acts as a trigger, pulling 'te' before the verb 'emprestei'.
- Quem te chamou para a festa?
Who called you to the party?
Word by Word: Who you called for the party?
Interrogative words like 'Quem' require the pronoun to be placed before the verb.
- Deus te abençoe!
God bless you!
Word by Word: God you bless!
In optative sentences (expressing a wish), the pronoun is placed before the verb.
- Em se tratando de música, ele é um gênio.
When it comes to music, he is a genius.
Word by Word: In itself treating of music, he is a genius.
When a gerund is preceded by the preposition 'em', proclisis is mandatory.
- Sempre nos divertimos aqui.
We always have fun here.
Word by Word: Always ourselves (we) amuse here.
The adverb 'sempre' attracts the reflexive pronoun 'nos' to the proclitic position.
Common Mistakes
Using a hyphen with proclisis.
Não me-diga isso.Não me diga isso.Hyphens are only used when the pronoun comes after the verb (enclisis) or inside the verb (mesoclisis). In proclisis, the pronoun is a separate word.
Starting a formal sentence with an object pronoun.
Me empresta o seu carro?Empresta-me o seu carro?While very common in spoken Brazilian Portuguese, formal grammar rules state you should not start a sentence with an unstressed object pronoun.
Ignoring the effect of a comma after an adverb.
Ontem, me ligaram.Ontem, ligaram-me.If an adverb is followed by a comma, it no longer 'attracts' the pronoun. The comma breaks the attraction, requiring the pronoun to move after the verb in formal registers.
How It Connects
Learn This First
To understand proclisis (placing the pronoun before the verb), you must first be familiar with the object pronouns themselves (direct, indirect, and reflexive). Additionally, you need to recognize specific 'attractor' words, such as question words and conjunctions, which force the pronoun into the pre-verbal position in Portuguese.
- me/te/lhe/nos/vos/lhesIndirect Object Pronouns
Understanding indirect object pronouns is necessary as they follow the same placement rules (próclise) as direct object pronouns.
Level 1 - que/quem/onde/quando/como/quanto/por queQuestion Words
Question words and relative pronouns are primary 'attractor' words that trigger the use of proclisis (pronoun before the verb).
Foundations
Related Patterns
- Enclisis (Pronoun After Verb)
Enclisis is the opposite of proclisis, where the pronoun is attached to the end of the verb with a hyphen.
Level 2 - não + Pronoun + VerbProclisis with Negation
This specific pattern focuses on how negative words trigger the pronoun to move before the verb.
Level 2 - Brazilian vs European Clitic Placement
Explains the regional differences in how these pronoun positions are used in daily life.
Level 3 - me/te/se/nos/vos/seReflexive Pronouns
Reflexive pronouns follow the same placement rules (proclisis, enclisis, mesoclisis) as object pronouns.
Level 1 - Mesoclisis
Mesoclisis is the third placement option, used only with future and conditional tenses in very formal contexts.
Level 6 - que/quando/se + Pronoun + VerbProclisis with Subordinating Conjunctions
Details how conjunctions act as 'attractive words' for proclisis.
Level 3
Learn Next
Patterns that build on this one.
Practice Proclisis (Pronoun Before Verb) in Bubblegum
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