não + Pronoun + Verb

Proclisis with Negation

Level 2

In Portuguese, negative words (like não, nunca, nada) force the object pronoun to appear before the verb. This is called proclisis.

How It Works

In Portuguese syntax, the placement of unstressed object pronouns (clitics) is not random. While Brazilian Portuguese (BP) naturally favors proclisis in most cases, European Portuguese (EP) typically uses enclisis (e.g., Viu-me).

However, the presence of a negative word creates a mandatory rule for both dialects: the pronoun must move to the position before the verb. Common triggers include:

  • Não (not/no)
  • Nunca / Jamais (never)
  • Nada (nothing)
  • Ninguém (nobody)
  • Nem (neither/nor)
  • Nenhum (none/no one)

This rule is one of the strongest in the language. Even in formal writing where enclisis is preferred, a negative word will usually override that preference.

Important Exceptions:
1. Punctuation: If a comma follows the negative word (e.g., Não, diga-me!), the attraction is broken and the pronoun stays after the verb.
2. Infinitives in EP: In European Portuguese, when using an infinitive, it is still grammatically acceptable to place the pronoun after the verb even after a negative (e.g., Para não ver-te).

Examples (5)

  1. Não me diga isso.

    Don't tell me that.

    Word by Word: Not me tell that.

    The negative word 'não' pulls the pronoun 'me' before the verb 'diga'.

  2. Nunca o vi tão feliz.

    I have never seen him so happy.

    Word by Word: Never him saw so happy.

    'Nunca' acts as the attractor for the direct object pronoun 'o'.

  3. Ninguém se lembrou do meu aniversário.

    Nobody remembered my birthday.

    Word by Word: Nobody itself remembered of the my birthday.

    The negative pronoun 'ninguém' triggers proclisis for the reflexive pronoun 'se'.

  4. Nada nos impede de ir.

    Nothing prevents us from going.

    Word by Word: Nothing us prevents of to go.

    'Nada' is the negative trigger pulling 'nos' before the verb 'impede'.

  5. Ele nem te olhou.

    He didn't even look at you.

    Word by Word: He neither you looked.

    'Nem' functions as a negative attractor for the pronoun 'te'.

Common Mistakes

  • Using enclisis (pronoun after verb) after a negative word with finite verbs.

    Não chamo-me João.
    Não me chamo João.

    Even in European Portuguese where enclisis is common, 'não' forces the pronoun to the front of finite (conjugated) verbs. However, if there is a comma after 'não', the attraction is broken: 'Não, diga-me a verdade'.

  • Using a hyphen when the pronoun is before the verb.

    Não-me diga.
    Não me diga.

    Hyphens are only used in Portuguese to attach pronouns that come after the verb (ênclise) or inside the verb (mesóclise).

  • Forgetting that punctuation breaks the attraction rule.

    Não, me diga isso.
    Não, diga-me isso.

    If a comma separates the negative word from the verb, the 'attraction' is lost. In these cases, you must use enclisis because a sentence or clause cannot start with an object pronoun in formal Portuguese.

How It Connects

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não + Pronoun + VerbLevel 2Proclisis with Negation

Learn This First

To understand how negation affects pronoun placement (proclisis), you first need to be familiar with the object pronouns themselves and the basic concept of placing pronouns before a verb. Knowledge of standard verb conjugation is also essential to identify the verb unit the pronoun is attaching to.

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