Enclisis: Pronoun

Enclisis is all about the position of the object pronoun. Instead of saying me ajuda, you say ajuda-me. The pronoun me moves to the end. You must use a hyphen to connect them. This hyphen is not optional. It turns the verb and pronoun into one unit. The stress of the verb usually stays the same. However, the spelling might change slightly. This happens to keep the sound smooth. It is like adding a trailer to a car. The car is the verb. The trailer is the pronoun. They travel together as one single vehicle. If you are ordering food, you might say Dê-me um café. It sounds much more polite than a blunt command. It shows you know the structure of the language well.

1. 1Start with your conjugated verb or infinitive.
2. 2Add a hyphen immediately after the last letter.
3. 3Place the object pronoun after the hyphen.
4. 4If the verb ends in -r, -s, or -z, drop that letter. Then, change the pronouns o, a, os, as to lo, la, los, las. For example, fazer + o becomes fazê-lo.
5. 5If the verb ends in a nasal sound like -m or -ão, change the pronouns to no, na, nos, nas. For example, entregam + o becomes entregam-no.
6. 6For most other endings, just use the standard pronoun like me, te, se, nos, vos.
7. 7Always check if the verb needs an accent after dropping a letter. Comprar + o becomes comprá-lo. It is like a haircut for verbs. You trim the end and add a stylish accessory.

Use enclisis when you start a sentence. Never start a sentence with an object pronoun in formal writing. It is the golden rule of Portuguese. For example, say Amo-te instead of Te amo in a formal letter. Use it with the imperative mood for commands. When you give directions, say Siga-me (Follow me). It sounds clear and direct. Use it with infinitives in almost any situation. Quero ver-te (I want to see you) is very common. It works well in job interviews too. You might say Candidatei-me à vaga (I applied for the position). It shows confidence and grammatical precision. Use it when there are no "magnet words" pulling the pronoun forward. It is the natural resting place for pronouns in a neutral sentence.

Do not use enclisis if a "magnet word" is present. These words pull the pronoun to the front. Negative words like não, nunca, or jamais are strong magnets. You must say Não me diga (Don't tell me). Relative pronouns like que also pull the pronoun. O livro que me deste (The book you gave me) is correct. Indefinite pronouns like tudo or alguém do the same. Alguém te chamou (Someone called you) is the way to go. Most adverbs also act as magnets. Hoje se fala muito disso (Today it is talked about a lot). If you use these, the pronoun must come before the verb. Think of magnet words as a strong wind. They blow the pronoun to the left side of the verb. If the wind is blowing, the tuxedo stays in the closet.

Starting a sentence with Me, Te, or Se is the biggest mistake. In casual Brazilian speech, people do it constantly. But in a B2 exam, it will cost you points. Avoid saying Me dá um autógrafo. Instead, use Dê-me um autógrafo. Another mistake is forgetting the hyphen. Amo te is two words; Amo-te is a grammatical unit. People also forget to drop the -r in infinitives. They write fazer-lo instead of fazê-lo. It sounds like wearing socks with sandals. It's not a crime, but people will notice. Also, watch out for nasal endings. Viram-o is wrong; Viram-no is the correct form. Don't worry, even the pros trip over these sometimes. Just keep practicing the "haircut" rule for verbs.

Enclisis contrasts directly with Proclisis (pronoun before the verb). Proclisis is much more common in Brazil. Enclisis is the standard in Portugal. There is also Mesoclisis (pronoun in the middle). Mesoclisis is only for the future and conditional tenses. It looks like Dar-te-ei (I will give you). It is very rare and extremely formal. Think of Proclisis as jeans and a t-shirt. It is comfortable and used everywhere. Enclisis is the business suit. Mesoclisis is the full medieval armor. You probably won't wear armor to the grocery store. Most of the time, you will choose between the suit and the jeans. At the B2 level, knowing when to wear the suit is key.