position of weak pronouns

Placement of Unstressed Object Pronouns in Brazilian Portuguese

In Portuguese, unstressed object pronouns (me, te, se, nos, o, a, os, as, lhe, lhes) are placed immediately before or after their associated verb. When placed after the verb, they require a hyphen and generally sound much more formal.

Note: There is a third, highly formal position where the pronoun is sandwiched inside the verb's future or conditional stem and ending (e.g., ver-me-iam - they would see me). However, this is rarely used today outside of strict literary contexts.

Spoken vs. Written Portuguese

There is a crucial difference between the spoken and written language regarding these pronouns:

• Spoken Brazilian Portuguese: Freely allows object pronouns at the beginning of sentences.
  Example: Te vejo amanhã. (I'll see you tomorrow.)
• Written Brazilian Portuguese: A cardinal rule forbids starting a sentence or clause with an object pronoun. If there is no explicit subject, the pronoun must follow the verb with a hyphen.
  Example: Vi-o. (I saw him.)

Mandatory Pre-Verbal Placement (Proclisis)

Despite the rule against starting a sentence with a pronoun, several circumstances and "attractor words" mandate placing the pronoun before the verb in writing:

• After negatives: Não o vi. (I didn't see him.)
• In relative clauses: A pessoa que o viu. (The person who saw him.)
• In subordinate clauses: A vizinha disse que o viu. (The neighbor said that she saw him.)
• After certain adverbs: Já o vi. (I already saw him.)
• After certain pronouns: Ninguém o viu. (No one saw him.)
• Following interrogative or exclamatory words: Quando o viu? (When did you see him?)

Explicit Subjects and the "Brazilian Trick"

When an explicit noun or personal pronoun subject is present, placing the object pronoun before the verb is perfectly acceptable and is considered a neutral, less formal written style compared to post-verbal placement.

• Neutral / Less Formal: A polícia o prendeu. (The police arrested him.)
• Highly Formal: A polícia prendeu-o. (The police arrested him.)

Because of this dynamic, Brazilians frequently include a subject pronoun in writing specifically to allow for this less formal pre-verbal placement. By writing the subject, they bypass the strict grammatical prohibition against starting a sentence with an object pronoun.

• Common Brazilian Written Style: Eu me vesti e saí. (I got dressed and left.)
• Formal / Literary Style: Vesti-me e saí. (I got dressed and left.)