Object pronouns replace nouns in a sentence so you don’t have to repeat the same words over and over.

In Portuguese, we divide these into direct and indirect object pronouns.

Learning how to use them correctly will make your Portuguese sound much more natural.

This guide will show you exactly how these pronouns work and where to place them.

Direct object pronouns explained

A direct object is the noun that directly receives the action of a verb.

If you say “I bought the car,” the word “car” is the direct object.

Instead of repeating “the car,” you can use a direct object pronoun to simply say “I bought it.”

Here are the direct object pronouns in Portuguese.

You must match the pronoun to the gender and number of the noun it replaces.

If you’re replacing a masculine singular noun, you’ll use o.

If you’re replacing a feminine plural noun, you’ll use as.

Here’s an example of a direct object pronoun replacing a feminine singular noun (a maçã / the apple).

Indirect object pronouns explained

An indirect object is the person or thing that receives the result of the action.

It tells you “to whom” or “for whom” the action is being done.

If you say “I gave the book to Maria,” then “Maria” is the indirect object.

Here are the indirect object pronouns in Portuguese.

Notice that the pronouns me, te, nos, and vos are the exact same for both direct and indirect objects.

The only difference is in the third person, where we use lhe and lhes instead of o/a and os/as.

Here’s an example using an indirect object pronoun.

It’s important to note a major regional difference with indirect object pronouns.

In European Portuguese, using lhe and lhes is the standard and most natural way to speak.

In Brazilian Portuguese, people frequently avoid lhe in everyday conversation.

Brazilians will usually just say para ele (for/to him) or para ela (for/to her) after the verb instead.

Pronoun placement in Brazil and Portugal

Knowing where to put the pronoun in the sentence is just as important as choosing the right one.

There’s a massive difference in pronoun placement between Brazilian Portuguese and European Portuguese.

In Brazil, people almost always place the pronoun immediately before the verb.

This is known in grammar as próclise.

Here’s how a Brazilian would naturally use a direct object pronoun.

In Portugal, the standard rule is to attach the pronoun to the end of the verb using a hyphen.

This is known in grammar as ênclise.

Here’s how a Portuguese person would naturally say that same sentence.

European Portuguese speakers will only put the pronoun before the verb if there’s a “trigger” word.

Negative words like não (no/not) and nunca (never) will always pull the pronoun to the front of the verb in both dialects.

Special spelling rules for direct object pronouns

When you attach a direct object pronoun to the end of a verb with a hyphen, you sometimes have to change the spelling.

This applies heavily to European Portuguese or formal Brazilian Portuguese writing.

If a verb ends in -r, -s, or -z, you must drop that final letter.

You then add an L to the pronoun, making it -lo, -la, -los, or -las.

If a verb ends in a nasal sound like -m, -ão, or -õe, you don’t drop any letters.

Instead, you simply add an N to the pronoun, making it -no, -na, -nos, or -nas.

These spelling rules only apply to direct object pronouns (o, a, os, as).

You never change the spelling when attaching indirect object pronouns like lhe or lhes to a verb.