2.4 Pronouns, Reflexive Verbs & Clitic Placement (Ênclise)

2.4 Pronouns, Reflexive Verbs & Clitic Placement (Ênclise)

Clitic pronoun positioning (colocação pronominal) is a useful syntactic feature separating European Portuguese from Brazilian Portuguese and other Romance languages. This section practises the standard European rule: enclisis (ênclise — pronoun after the verb with a hyphen) is the default, while proclisis (próclise — pronoun before the verb) often follows particular grammatical triggers in the finite-clause examples practised here.

---

1. Subject Pronouns and Sociolinguistic Politeness in Portugal

In European Portuguese, addressing another person requires understanding the cultural rules of polite address.

The Cultural Reality of "Você"

Forms of address vary by region, relationship and setting. A practical neutral pattern for an unfamiliar adult is a third-person verb without an explicit subject, such as Pode ajudar-me? Do not treat você as universally offensive.

To speak respectfully in CIPLE speaking and writing tasks, use one of these three native strategies:

1. Use "O senhor" (for men) or "A senhora" (for women):
   • O senhor quer um saco plástico? (Do you want a plastic bag, sir?)
   • A senhora pode assinar aqui, por favor? (Could you sign here, madam?)
2. Use professional or personal courtesy titles:
   • O senhor doutor já viu os exames? (Has the doctor examined the results?)
   • A dona Maria quer um café? (Would Mrs. Maria like a coffee?)
3. Omit the subject pronoun entirely (Null Subject / Pro-Drop):
   • Pode dizer-me onde fica o correio? (Could [you] tell me where the post office is?)
   • Quer pagar com cartão multibanco? (Do [you] wish to pay with a debit card?)

---

2. Daily Reflexive Verbs at A2

Reflexive verbs express actions performed by the subject upon themselves. In the present indicative, they are conjugated using reflexive clitic pronouns:

Reflexive Pronouns: me (eu), te (tu), se (ele/ela/o senhor), nos (nós), se (eles/elas/vocês)

Conjugation of "Levantar-se" (To Get Up / Stand Up)

• Eu levanto-me às sete da manhã. (I get up at 7:00 a.m.)
• Tu levantas-te cedo. (You get up early.)
• Ele / O senhor levanta-se da cadeira. (He / You get up from the chair.)
• Nós levantamo-nos tarde ao domingo. (We get up late on Sunday.)
• Eles / Vocês levantam-se agora. (They / You all get up now.)

High-Frequency A2 Reflexive Verbs

• chamar-se: Chamo-me Pedro. (My name is Pedro.)
• deitar-se: Deito-me às vinte e três horas. (I go to bed at 11:00 p.m.)
• vestir-se: Ele veste-se rapidamente. (He gets dressed quickly.)
• sentir-se: Como se sente hoje? Sinto-me ótimo. (How do you feel today? I feel great.)
• lembrar-se de: Lembro-me bem dessa viagem. (I remember that trip well.)
• esquecer-se de: Esqueci-me das chaves em casa. (I forgot the keys at home.)
• sentar-se: Sente-se aqui, por favor. (Sit down here, please.)

---

3. Direct and Indirect Object Pronouns

Direct object (DO) pronouns replace the direct recipient of an action without a preposition, while indirect object (IO) pronouns replace the person to whom or for whom an action is performed (introduced by a).

In the 3rd person, DO uses o, a, os, as, whereas IO uses lhe, lhes regardless of gender: Dei um livro ao Pedro -> Dei-lhe um livro; Dei um livro à Maria -> Dei-lhe um livro.

---

4. The Canonical Default: Enclisis (Ênclise)

In European Portuguese, clitic pronouns follow the verb and are attached with a hyphen in standard affirmative statements:

• Conheço-o muito bem. (I know him very well.)
• O carteiro entregou-nos a correspondência. (The postman delivered the mail to us.)
• Chamo-me Manuel. (My name is Manuel.)

---

5. Common Proclisis Triggers (Próclise)

When a specific "attractor word" precedes the verb, the pronoun is pulled in front of the verb (próclise) without a hyphen. Memorize these four trigger categories for the CIPLE:

1. Negative Words

Não, nunca, jamais, nada, ninguém, nem, nenhum:

• Eu não me lembro do número. (I don't remember the number. — NOT não lembro-me)
• Ele nunca lhe disse a verdade. (He never told him the truth.)
• Ninguém o viu na estação. (Nobody saw him at the station.)

2. Subordinating Conjunctions and Relative Pronouns

Que, porque, quando, se, como, embora, para que:

• Espero que me ajudes. (I hope that you help me.)
• Fui ao médico porque me sentia mal. (I went to the doctor because I felt sick.)
• O casaco que me deste é quente. (The coat that you gave me is warm.)
• Telefona-me quando te levantares. (Call me when you get up.)

3. Indefinite Pronouns and Focal Adverbs

Já, ainda, sempre, tudo, todos, alguém, só, apenas, também:

• Eu já me vesti. (I have already gotten dressed. — NOT já vesti-me)
• Eles ainda não o fizeram. (They have not yet done it.)
• Ele sempre me tratou com simpatia. (He always treated me with kindness.)
• Todos se sentaram na sala. (Everyone sat down in the room.)

4. Question Words in Direct or Indirect Questions

Onde, como, quem, quando, quanto, por que:

• Onde te encontraste com o teu amigo? (Where did you meet with your friend?)
• Quem lhe deu esse presente? (Who gave him that present?)
• Como se chama esta avenida? (What is this avenue called?)

---

6. Morphological Clitic Mutations: -lo and -no Variants

When 3rd-person direct object pronouns (o, a, os, as) are placed in enclisis after specific verb endings, they undergo mandatory phonetic adjustments:

1. Verbs Ending in Consonants -r, -s, -z -> Take -lo, -la, -los, -las

The final consonant is dropped completely, and the pronoun transforms into -lo, -la, -los, -las:

• Verb stems in -r (infinitives):
  • comprar + o -> comprá-lo (accent added to preserve stressed open vowel)
  • fazer + o -> fazê-lo (circumflex added for closed stressed vowel)
  • beber + a -> bebê-la
  • abrir + os -> abri-los
• Verb stems in -s:
  • fizemos + o -> fizemo-lo (we made it)
  • dás + as -> dá-las (you give them)
• Verb stems in -z:
  • diz + o -> di-lo (say it)
  • fiz + o -> fi-lo (I did it)

2. Verbs Ending in Nasal Sounds (-m, -ão, -õe) -> Take -no, -na, -nos, -nas

When a verb ends in a nasal sound, the verb remains intact and the pronoun takes an initial nasal consonant n:

• Eles viram + o filme -> Eles viram-no. (They saw it.)
• Eles compraram + as maçãs -> Eles compraram-nas. (They bought them.)
• Eles dão + o livro -> Eles dão-no. (They give it.)
• O senhor põe + a mala aqui -> O senhor põe-na aqui. (You put it here.)

Learn these modifications in useful phrases, while prioritising clear communication over unnecessary complexity.