Mesoclisis: Pron

Most pronouns go before or after verbs. But mesóclise is a different beast entirely. You literally break the verb in two. Then you drop the pronoun inside the gap. It is like making a verb sandwich. The pronoun is the delicious filling. This only happens with two specific tenses. You use it for the Future of the Present. You also use it for the Conditional tense. No other tenses allow this internal split. It creates a very distinct three-part structure. It feels strange at first. But the logic is quite consistent.

1. 1Start with the infinitive form of the verb.
2. 2Do not include any attraction words yet.
3. 3Take the object pronoun you need.
4. 4Place a hyphen after the verb stem.
5. 5Insert the pronoun after that hyphen.
6. 6Add a second hyphen after the pronoun.
7. 7Attach the verb ending at the very end.
8. 8Ensure the verb ending matches the subject.
9. 9Watch out for irregular verbs like fazer.
10. 10These stems change to far- or dir-.
11. 11Example: dar + te + ei becomes dar-te-ei.
12. 12Example: amar + vos + ia becomes amar-vos-ia.

Use mesóclise when starting a sentence. Portuguese verbs hate starting with a pronoun. If you use the future tense, use this. It is perfect for very formal letters. Use it when writing to a university dean. It works well in legal contracts. You might see it in religious texts. Use it in a job interview letter. It shows extreme respect for the reader. It makes your writing sound very professional. Think of it like a grammar traffic light. It tells the reader to pay attention. It is a tool for high-level diplomacy.

Never use it if a 'magnet word' appears. Words like não or nunca are magnets. They pull the pronoun to the front. This is called próclise. Avoid mesóclise in casual text messages. Your friends will think you are joking. Do not use it with relative pronouns. The word que always attracts the pronoun. Interrogative words also stop the internal split. If there is attraction, mesóclise simply dies. It is a very fragile grammar rule. Most native speakers avoid it in conversation. It is too heavy for a BBQ.

The biggest mistake is the 'Negative Trap'. People try to say não dar-te-ei. This is a major grammatical error. The correct way is não te darei. The negative word always wins the battle. Another mistake is using the wrong tense. Do not try this with the past. It will sound like total gibberish. Some people forget the second hyphen. The pronoun needs two little bridges. Also, watch out for the irregular stems. Fazer-lhe-ei is a common native mistake. The correct form is actually far-lhe-ei. Yes, even native speakers mess this up sometimes.

Próclise puts the pronoun before the verb. It is the king of Brazilian Portuguese. Ênclise puts the pronoun after the verb. It is standard for starting most sentences. But Future tenses are the big exception. You cannot use ênclise with future tenses. Saying darei-te is a painful mistake. You must choose between próclise or mesóclise. If no attraction word exists, choose mesóclise. It fills the gap left by ênclise. It is the only valid 'after' option. Think of it as the 'Future Sandwich'.