Pronoun Placement: Procl

In Portuguese, pronoun placement is all about the surrounding words. Próclise is the most common position in modern Brazilian Portuguese. The pronoun me, te, se, nos, or lhe sits before the verb. For example, you say não me fale instead of não fale-me. Why? Because the word não is a powerful magnet. It demands the pronoun to come closer. If there is no magnet, the pronoun usually stays behind. However, in many cases, proclisis is actually mandatory. Learning these triggers will make you sound much more professional. It is like choosing the right outfit for a job interview. You want to look like you know the rules. Let's look at the specific patterns.

1. 1Identify the main verb in your sentence.
2. 2Look at the word immediately before that verb.
3. 3Check if that word is an "attractor word."
4. 4Place the object pronoun (me, te, se, o, a, nos, vos, os, as, lhes) right before the verb.
5. 5Ensure nothing (except maybe another pronoun) sits between the magnet and the verb.
6. 6Read the sentence aloud to check the flow.

Use proclisis when you see negative words. Words like não, nunca, jamais, or ninguém are huge magnets. If you are ordering food and say não me traga a conta, you are using it correctly. Another trigger is the adverb. Words like hoje, sempre, or talvez pull pronouns forward. If you are in a job interview, say sempre me dedico ao trabalho. This shows you are a grammar pro! Relative pronouns like que or quem also trigger this rule. Indefinite pronouns like tudo, nada, or alguém do the same thing. Think of these words as the "cool kids" of grammar. Everyone wants to be near them. Even interrogative words like quem or onde work this way. When you ask quem te chamou?, the quem pulls the te forward. It is a very consistent system once you see it.

Never start a sentence with an object pronoun in formal writing. This is the "Golden Rule" of Portuguese grammar. You should not say me dá um café in a formal letter. Instead, you would write dê-me um café. In casual speech, Brazilians do this all the time. But if you want to be correct, avoid it at the start. Also, if there is a pause (like a comma), the magnet breaks. Imagine the comma is a wall that stops the magnet's pull. If you say hoje, entrego-te o livro, the comma stops hoje from pulling the pronoun. Without a trigger word, the pronoun stays after the verb. This is called enclisis, and it is the default state. Mesoclisis is only for the future, but that is a different story. For now, just remember: no magnet, no proclisis.

Many students forget that que is a magnet. They say o livro que deu-me instead of o livro que me deu. This sounds a bit clunky to native ears. Another mistake is ignoring short adverbs. Words like bem or mal are magnets too! People often forget that negative words are the strongest triggers. If you see não, the pronoun MUST move forward. It is like a law of physics. Also, do not put a pronoun before the verb at the start of a paragraph. Your teacher will probably circle it in red ink. Think of it like wearing pajamas to a wedding. It is just not the right time or place. Just take a breath and look for those magnets.

Próclise is the opposite of Ênclise. In Ênclise, the pronoun follows the verb like a tail. You use Ênclise when there are no attractor words nearby. In Portugal, Ênclise is much more common than in Brazil. Brazilians love Próclise and use it almost everywhere in speech. Mesóclise is the rare third option for future tenses. It looks like dar-te-ei, which sounds like a Shakespeare play. Most of the time, you will only need Próclise or Ênclise. Próclise is for when the "magnets" are present. Ênclise is for when you are starting fresh or have no triggers. It is a simple choice once you know the triggers. Most B1 students find Próclise easier because it feels like English. "He me told" is wrong in English, but "Ele me contou" is right in Portuguese!