Portuguese conjugation explanation
Reflexive pronoun placement

Practice conjugations

<p>Portuguese reflexive pronouns (and other object pronouns) are sometimes placed before the verb form they are associated with (<strong>proclisis</strong>), sometimes after it (<strong>enclisis</strong>), connected with a hyphen. In <strong>affirmative sentences and questions not introduced by an interrogative word</strong>, using the enclisis is the standard in European Portuguese, while the proclisis is more frequent in Brazilian Portuguese (note: formal and written language in Brazil tend to follow the European placement rules).</p>

<ul>

<li>Enclisis:

Eu <strong>sinto-<span style="text-decoration: underline;">me</span></strong> muito bem, obrigado. (<span style="font-style: italic;">I feel very well, thank you.</span>)</div></li>

Eles <strong>levantam-<span style="text-decoration: underline;">se</span></strong> antes do nascer do sol? (<span style="font-style: italic;">Do they get up before sunrise?</span>)</div>

</li>

<li>Proclisis: <div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence">

Eu <strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">me</span> sinto</strong> muito bem, obrigado. (<span style="font-style: italic;">I feel very well, thank you.</span>)</div></li>

Eles <strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">se</span> levantam</strong> antes do nascer do sol? (<span style="font-style: italic;">Do they get up before sunrise?</span>)</div>

</ul>

<p>However, there are some cases where the placement of the pronoun is determined by rules. Let's have a closer look at them.</p>

<div class="conjugation_explanation_title">Compulsory proclisis</div>

<p>In some cases, we must always put the <strong>reflexive pronoun before the verb form</strong> when certain <strong>attracting words (<span style="font-style: italic;">atrativos</span>) precede it</strong>:</p>

<ul>

<li>after <strong>negative</strong> words (e.g. <span style="font-style: italic;">não, nunca, nem</span>, etc.),</li>

<li>in <strong>interrogative</strong> sentences introduced by a question word (e.g. <span style="font-style: italic;">quem, como, quando</span>, etc.),</li>

<li>after <strong>subordinating conjunction or preposition</strong> (e.g. <span style="font-style: italic;">que, porque, como</span>, etc.),</li>

<li>after certain <strong>adverbs</strong> (e.g. <span style="font-style: italic;">já, talvez, -mente</span> adverbs, etc.),</li>

<li>after <strong>indefinite pronouns</strong> (e.g. <span style="font-style: italic;">alguém, todos, poucos, </span>etc.).</li>

</ul>

<p>Let's see a few examples where we underlined the word that "attracts" the pronoun:</p>

<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence">Eu <strong style="text-decoration: underline;">não</strong> <span class="green_emphasis">me atrasarei</span>. (<span style="font-style: italic;">I won't be late.</span>)</div>

<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence"><strong style="text-decoration: underline;">Quando</strong> eles <span class="green_emphasis">se casaram</span>? (<span style="font-style: italic;">When did they get married?</span>)</div>

<p>To read more about these cases,

<a class="conjugation_explanation_link_intext" href="/conjugationExplanation/compulsory_proclisis" target="_blank">click on this link</a>

.</p>

<div class="conjugation_explanation_title">At the start of a sentence</div>

<p>In <strong>European Portuguese, a sentence or a clause can never begin with a reflexive pronoun</strong> (or any other object pronoun). The same holds for written Brazilian Portuguese, but starting a sentence with an object pronoun is very common in spoken Brazilian Portuguese (e.g., <span style="font-style: italic;">"Te vejo esta noite."</span>).</p>

<div class="conjugation_explanation_title">Progressive tenses</div>

<p> In European Portuguese, progressive verb forms consist of the conjugated auxiliary verb <span style="font-style: italic;">estar</span>, the preposition <span style="font-style: italic;">"a"</span> and the infinitive of the main verb (e.g., <span style="font-style: italic;">eu estou a falar</span>). The most common way to place the pronoun when there are no attracting words is <strong>after the main verb</strong>. However, it’s also correct to place the pronoun after the auxiliary verb separated by a hyphen:</p>

Eu <strong>estou a divertir<span style="text-decoration: underline;">-me</span></strong>. (<span style="font-style: italic;">I am having a good time.</span>)</div>

Eu <strong>estou<span style="text-decoration: underline;">-me</span> a divertir</strong>. (<span style="font-style: italic;">I am having a good time.</span>)</div>

<p>When the proclisis is compulsory (

<a class="conjugation_explanation_link_intext" href="/conjugationExplanation/compulsory_proclisis" target="_blank">see cases here</a>

), the pronoun usually goes <strong>in front of the auxiliary verb</strong>, although placing it after the main verb is also correct:</p>

Não <strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">me</span> estou a divertir</strong>. (<span style="font-style: italic;">I am not having a good time.</span>)</div>

Não <strong>estou a divertir<span style="text-decoration: underline;">-me</span></strong>. (<span style="font-style: italic;">I am not having a good time.</span>)</div>

<p>In Brazilian Portuguese, progressive verb forms consist of the conjugated auxiliary verb <span style="font-style: italic;">estar</span> and the gerund of the main verb (e.g., <span style="font-style: italic;">eu estou falando</span>). The most common reflexive pronoun placement is <strong>between the auxiliary verb and the main verb</strong>, but it's also correct to place it after the main verb with a hyphen:</p>

Você <strong>está <span style="text-decoration: underline;">se</span> sentindo</strong> melhor hoje? (<span style="font-style: italic;">Are you feeling better today?</span>)</div>

Você <strong>está sentindo<span style="text-decoration: underline;">-se</span></strong> melhor hoje? (<span style="font-style: italic;">Are you feeling better today?</span>)</div>

<div class="conjugation_explanation_title">Perfect tenses</div>

<p>Perfect verb forms consist of the conjugated auxiliary verb <span style="font-style: italic;">ter</span> (or <span style="font-style: italic;">haver</span>) and the past participle of the main verb (e.g., <span style="font-style: italic;">eu tenho falado</span>). When the proclisis is not compulsory (

<a class="conjugation_explanation_link_intext" href="/conjugationExplanation/compulsory_proclisis" target="_blank">see cases here</a>

), the reflexive pronoun is placed <strong>after the auxiliary verb</strong>. While European Portuguese connects the auxiliary verb to the pronoun with a hyphen, Brazilian usually does not:</p>

Ele <strong>tem<span style="text-decoration: underline;">-se</span> sentido</strong> muito feliz aqui. (<span style="font-style: italic;">He has been very happy here.</span>)</div>

Ele <strong>tem <span style="text-decoration: underline;">se</span> sentido</strong> muito feliz aqui. (<span style="font-style: italic;">He has been very happy here.</span>)</div>

<p>When the proclisis is compulsory, the pronoun has to be placed <strong>in front of the auxiliary verb</strong>:</p>

<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence">Ele não <strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">se</span> tem sentido</strong> muito feliz aqui. (<span style="font-style: italic;">He hasn't been very happy here.</span>)</div>

<p>However, in spoken or neutral Brazilian Portuguese, the pronoun can be placed between the two verbs even in these cases:</p>

Ele não <strong>tem <span style="text-decoration: underline;">se</span> sentido</strong> muito feliz aqui. (<span style="font-style: italic;">He hasn't been very happy here.</span>)</div>

<div class="conjugation_explanation_title">Mesoclisis</div>

<p>We cannot place reflexive pronouns after future and conditional verb forms. Instead, the pronoun gets <strong>between the stem and the ending</strong> (<strong>mesoclisis</strong>).

<p><div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence">Assim que ele regressar, <strong>ir-<span style="text-decoration: underline;">me</span>-ei</strong> embora. (<span style="font-style: italic;">As soon as he returns, I will leave.</span>)</div></p>

<p>However, the mesoclisis is only used in literary works and formal speech. To read more about it,

<a class="conjugation_explanation_link_intext" href="/conjugationExplanation/mesoclise" target="_blank">click on this link.</a>

</p>

Portuguese conjugation explanation Reflexive pronoun placement

Portuguese conjugation explanation
Reflexive pronoun placement