ポルトガル語の代名詞合体: mo, to, lho
mo や to、 lho のようにギュッと一つにまとめちゃいましょう。
Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
When a direct object pronoun (o/a/os/as) meets an indirect object pronoun (lhe/lhes), they fuse into a single, elegant form.
- If the verb ends in -r, -s, or -z, drop the consonant and add 'l' to the pronoun: 'fazer' + 'o' = 'fazê-lo'.
- If the verb ends in a nasal sound (-m, -ão, -õe), add 'n' to the pronoun: 'deram' + 'o' = 'deram-no'.
- When 'lhe' or 'lhes' meets 'o/a/os/as', they merge into 'lho/lha/lhos/lhas': 'dou' + 'lhe' + 'o' = 'dou-lho'.
Overview
mo, to, lho, no-lo, and vo-lo, allows speakers to convey complex object relations with remarkable economy of expression.o, a, os, as) and indirect object pronouns (me, te, lhe, nos, vos, lhes), demonstrating how Portuguese streamlines information into a single, compact lexical unit.How This Grammar Works
me, te, lhe, nos, vos, lhes) with specific direct object pronouns (o, a, os, as). The indirect object pronoun invariably precedes the direct object pronoun in this fusion. Consider the sentence Eu dou o livro a ele(I give the book to him).
o livro is the direct object (the thing given) and a ele is the indirect object (the recipient). When you replace these nouns with their respective pronouns, you get Euor, more idiomatically,odoua ele
EuThe fusion process then takeslhedouo.
lhe (indirect) and o (direct) and combines them into lho, resulting in Eu lho dou. The single word lho now encapsulates both it and to him/her/you.
Formation Pattern
me (to me):
me combines with the DOPs o, a, os, as, it transforms into mo, ma, mos, mas. The initial m of me remains, and the vowel adapts to match the direct object pronoun.
o) | DOP (a) | DOP (os) | DOP (as) |
me | mo | ma | mos | mas |
me + o → mo):
Ele deu o livro a mim. (He gave the book to me.)
Ele mo deu. (He gave it to me.)
me + a → ma):
Podes emprestar a caneta a mim? (Can you lend the pen to me?)
Podes ma emprestar? (Can you lend it to me?)
me + os → mos):
Trouxeste os documentos a mim? (Did you bring the documents to me?)
Trouxeste-mos? (Did you bring them to me?)
te (to you, informal singular):
te combines with the DOPs, it becomes to, ta, tos, tas. The initial t of te is preserved.
o) | DOP (a) | DOP (os) | DOP (as) |
te | to | ta | tos | tas |
te + o → to):
Entreguei o recado a ti. (I delivered the message to you.)
Entreguei-to. (I delivered it to you.)
te + a → ta):
Vou dar a chave a ti. (I'm going to give the key to you.)
Vou ta dar. (I'm going to give it to you.)
te + as → tas):
Enviaste as fotos a ti? (Did you send the photos to yourself?)
Enviaste-tas? (Did you send them to yourself?)
lhe (to him/her/you formal singular):
Lhe combines with the DOPs to form lho, lha, lhos, lhas. The lh sound is distinct in Portuguese.
o) | DOP (a) | DOP (os) | DOP (as) |
lhe | lho | lha | lhos | lhas |
lhe + o → lho):
Eu entreguei o relatório a ele. (I delivered the report to him.)
Eu lho entreguei. (I delivered it to him.)
lhe + a → lha):
O gerente ofereceu a posição a ela. (The manager offered the position to her.)
O gerente lha ofereceu. (The manager offered it to her.)
lhe + os → lhos):
Mandei os documentos a você. (I sent the documents to you [formal].)
Mandei-lhos. (I sent them to you.)
nos (to us):
nos undergoes a specific phonetic change. The final s of nos drops, and an l is inserted before the direct object pronoun. This results in no-lo, no-la, no-los, no-las. The hyphenation indicates that nos has undergone a transformation.
o) | DOP (a) | DOP (os) | DOP (as) |
nos | no-lo | no-la | no-los | no-las |
nos + o → no-lo):
Eles trouxeram o presente para nós. (They brought the gift for us.)
Eles no-lo trouxeram. (They brought it for us.)
nos + a → no-la):
Apresentaram a proposta a nós. (They presented the proposal to us.)
Apresentaram-no-la. (They presented it to us.)
nos + os → no-los):
Podes enviar os ficheiros para nós? (Can you send the files to us?)
Podes no-los enviar? (Can you send them to us?)
vos (to you, informal plural/formal singular archaic):
nos, the final s of vos drops, and an l is inserted. This forms vo-lo, vo-la, vo-los, vo-las. While grammatically correct, these forms are much less common in modern Portuguese, especially in spoken European Portuguese. Their usage is predominantly found in older texts, very formal writing, or specific regional dialects.
o) | DOP (a) | DOP (os) | DOP (as) |
vos | vo-lo | vo-la | vo-los | vo-las |
vos + o → vo-lo):
O rei ofereceu o perdão a vós. (The king offered the pardon to you [plural/archaic].)
O rei vo-lo ofereceu. (The king offered it to you.)
lhes (to them/you formal plural):
lhes is plural, when it fuses with the DOPs, the resulting forms are identical to those of singular lhe: lho, lha, lhos, lhas. The plural marker of lhes is effectively absorbed, and the number (singular or plural) of the direct object determines the final form. This means that lhes + o becomes lho, while lhes + os becomes lhos.
o) | DOP (a) | DOP (os) | DOP (as) |
lhes | lho | lha | lhos | lhas |
lhes + o → lho):
Perguntei o preço a eles. (I asked the price to them.)
Perguntei-lho. (I asked it to them.)
lhes + a → lha):
Enviei a carta a elas. (I sent the letter to them [feminine].)
Enviei-lha. (I sent it to them.)
lhes + as → lhas):
Contei as novidades a vocês. (I told the news to you [formal plural].)
Contei-lhas. (I told them to you.)
-r, -s, or -z. This is a broader rule for all enclitic object pronouns (o, a, os, as, and their fused variants) and ties in closely with the related rule on lo/la variants.
-r, -s, or -z: When these consonants are present at the end of a verb, they are dropped before the pronoun attaches, and an l is inserted before the fused pronoun.
dar (verb) + lhe + o → dá-lho (Not dar-lho) - The final r of dar is dropped, and l is inserted.
fazer (verb) + lhe + a → fá-lha (Not faz-lha or faz-lhe-a) - The final z is dropped, and l is inserted.
fazemos (verb) + lhe + os → fazemo-lhos (Not fazemos-lhos) - The final s is dropped, and l is inserted.
-ão, -em, -õe): These verbs do not undergo consonant changes, but often add an n before the pronoun, though this is more typical for direct object pronouns alone (viram-no), it also applies to fusions in some contexts. However, for mo, to, lho fusions, the verb form usually remains unchanged before the hyphen:
Deram-lho. (They gave it to him/her/you/them.)
Põem-lho. (They put it on him/her/you/them.)
Dá-lho-ei. (I will give it to him/her/you.) (dar + lhe + o + ei)
Dá-lha-íamos. (We would give it to him/her/you.) (dar + lhe + a + íamos)
mesoclisis is vital for reading.
When To Use It
mo, to, lho varies significantly between European Portuguese (EP) and Brazilian Portuguese (BP), and by the register of communication.- Efficiency in Speech: Native EP speakers use these forms instinctively to maintain fluidity and conciseness.
Já
(I've already told him/her/you several times!)lhodisse várias vezes!Quando é que
(When are you going to hand it [f.] to me?)maentregas?- Formal and Informal Contexts: Unlike in BP, these fusions do not mark a distinction in formality. They are simply the correct grammatical structure.
- A friend might ask:
Quando
(When are you bringing them [f.] to me?)mastrazes? - An official might state:
O relatório foi enviado,
(The report was sent, we confirm it to you.)lhoconfirmamos.
- Literary/Formal Use: If you are reading 19th-century Brazilian novels or legal texts, you will frequently encounter these forms. For advanced learners targeting C1/C2 proficiency, especially in reading comprehension, recognizing them is crucial.
Prometo
(I promise to deliver it to him/her tomorrow.) - *Found in formal writing.*lhoentregar amanhã.- Avoidance in Speech: In spoken BP, the combination of two object pronouns is usually expressed by separating them or by using a prepositional phrase with the indirect object. For example, instead of
Eu
a BP speaker would say:lhodou,Eu dou
(I give that to him) orisso pra eleEu
This preference for more explicit and less agglutinated forms is a defining characteristic of modern spoken BP.odoua ele.
Common Mistakes
lho. Learners often mistakenly assume lho means only him/her/you or only it. However, lho (and lha, lhos, lhas) inherently means it/them (DOP) to him/her/you/them (IOP). The fused pronoun simultaneously expresses both the direct and the indirect object.
- Incorrect:
(I saw *him/her/you* in the street.) -> This is wrong becauseLhovi na rua.lhoincludes a direct object. You just saw him/her/you, notit to him/her/you.
- Correct:
(I saw him/her/you in the street.) - Here,Ovi na rua.ois a simple direct object pronoun. - Correct (fusion):
Contei a história a ele. Contei-
(I told the story to him. I told it to him.) -lha.lha=a história (it, feminine) a ele (to him).
lhe and lhes in Fusion:lhe (singular IOP) and lhes (plural IOP) result in the same fused forms: lho, lha, lhos, lhas. The plurality of the indirect object is *not* carried into the fused pronoun. This can cause confusion regarding the recipient's number.- The rule: The singular/plural marker on the fused pronoun (
-ovs.-os) indicates the number of the direct object, *not* the indirect object. The context must clarify whether the indirect object was singular (lhe) or plural (lhes). lhe(to him) +o(the book) =lholhes(to them) +o(the book) =lholhe(to him) +os(the books) =lhoslhes(to them) +os(the books) =lhos- Example of Error: Expecting
lhes+oto becomelhoswhen the direct object is singular. Dei o presente a eles. Dei-lho.(I gave the gift to them. I gave it to them.) -lhois correct for a singularpresente(it).
no-lo/vo-lo Changes:nos and vos (dropping s, inserting l) are specific. Learners sometimes forget the l insertion or the hyphenation, or apply it to me/te/lhe which do not undergo this specific alteration.- Incorrect:
Eles trouxero-nos-o.(Instead oftrouxeram-no-lo.) - The verb ending change andlinsertion are missed. - Correct:
Eles trouxeram-
(They brought it to us.)no-lo.
- BP Speaker Error: Saying
Vou
in casual conversation. This would be understood but would sound like a character from a period drama.lhoentregar - Preferred BP:
Vou entregar
orisso pra ele.Vou entregar
o documento a ele.
Eu lho não dou instead of Eu não lho dou in EP) is a common mistake.- Correct EP Enclisis:
Comprei um presente e
(I bought a gift and gave it to him/her today.)dei-lhohoje. - Correct EP Proclisis (with negation):
Nunca
(I will never give it to him/her.)lhodarei.
-lo/-la):fá-lo (make it) are different from fá-lho (make it for him/her). The l in fá-lo comes from the verb ending change (the -z of faz dropped). In fá-lho, the lho is the *fused pronoun itself*, which also benefits from the verb ending change.Eu fiz o trabalho.
Eu fê-lo. (fê-lo = fiz + o, with z drop and l insertion.)
Eu fiz o trabalho para ele.
Eu fê-lho. (fê-lho = fiz + lhe + o, with z drop and l insertion, and lhe + o fusion.)
Real Conversations
To truly grasp pronoun fusions, observe their natural occurrence in authentic Portuguese communication. While their presence varies regionally, their role in conveying information remains constant.
In European Portuguese (EP):
These forms are pervasive and integral to fluent communication. You will hear and see them daily.
- Daily Interaction:
- Friend:
Já viste o filme novo?(Have you seen the new movie?)
- You:
Sim, já lho vi ontem. Achei-o fantástico! (Yes, I saw it [the film] yesterday. I found it fantastic!) - Here, lho refers to o filme for the direct object and a ti (to you) for the indirect, meaning I saw it for you/usor
I saw it regarding your question.This is an idiomatic use where
lhe can sometimes carry a subtle dative of interest. The o in achei-o is a simple direct object pronoun for o filme.
- Work Email:
-
Prezado Colega, o documento que pediu já foi processado. Anexo lho envio. (Dear Colleague, the document you requested has already been processed. I attach it to you.) - lho = o documento (it) + a si (to you, formal).
- News Report:
-
O governo apresentou uma nova proposta. O primeiro-ministro disse-lha hoje à nação. (The government presented a new proposal. The prime minister said it [the proposal] to the nation today.) - lha = a proposta (it, feminine) + à nação (to the nation, represented by lhe).
- Casual Text Message (EP):
-
A chave está no balcão. Quando vieres, ma trazes? (The key is on the counter. When you come, will you bring it to me?) - ma = a chave (it, feminine) + a mim (to me).
In Brazilian Portuguese (BP):
As previously discussed, pronoun fusions are generally avoided in spoken BP. However, they appear in specific contexts, making recognition vital.
- Formal Literature/Academic Texts:
-
A sabedoria, se não a aplicardes, de nada(Wisdom, if you do not apply it, will be worth nothing to you; but if you cultivate it, it will make you wise.) - This is an example where a BP text might use standard pronoun placement rather than fusion. However, in older or highly formal versions, a construction likevosvalerá; mas seacultivardes,ela vosfará sábios.
semight be found, meaningaaplicardes, de nadavo-lovalerá
it (nada) will be worth nothing to you (vos).Note: This is less common even in literary BP than the simple DOP with
vos.
- A sentence like
Entregar-lho-ei amanhã (I shall deliver it to him tomorrow) would be understood in BP but sounds profoundly literary, evoking a classical style rarely used in modern communication.
- Legal or Bureaucratic Documents: These forms might appear to maintain a formal, traditional tone.
-
Concordo em receber os termos e condições e confirmo que(I agree to receive the terms and conditions and confirm that I have read and understood them.) - This demonstrates the importance of recognizing the separate usage where fusion doesn't apply.lhesliecompreendi.
- In a legal context, if a document needed to explicitly state something given to multiple parties, a fused pronoun might be chosen for conciseness in the written record:
A cópia do contrato foi entregue às partes, e lha foi solicitada a sua assinatura. (The copy of the contract was delivered to the parties, and their signature was requested for it.) - lha = a cópia (it, feminine) + às partes (to them/to the parties).
Observing these patterns helps you not only understand the grammar but also develop an ear for the stylistic nuances of Portuguese across its various forms.
Quick FAQ
Absolutely. In casual and even moderately formal spoken Brazilian Portuguese, you should avoid using these fused pronouns. They sound archaic and unnatural. Instead, you would typically use constructions like
Eu dou isso pra ele (I give that to him) or separate pronouns: Eu dou o livro a ele (I give the book to him). However, for reading comprehension, especially of classic literature or formal documents, recognizing them is essential for B2 learners and above.
lhe and lhes both result in lho/lha/lhos/lhas? How do I know if the indirect object was singular or plural?This is a point of phonetic evolution and linguistic economy. The plural marker of lhes (-s) was historically reduced and lost in this specific agglutination. You deduce whether the indirect object was singular (lhe) or plural (lhes) purely from context. For example, if you know the sentence refers to a single person, lho will mean
it to him/her/you (formal singular); if it refers to multiple people,
lho will mean it to them/you (formal plural).The final vowel (
o/a) and suffix (-s) on the fused pronoun (lho vs. lha vs. lhos vs. lhas) only reflect the gender and number of the *direct object*.
lho/lha?No. The forms lho, lha, lhos, lhas are determined by the gender and number of the direct object (o, a, os, as), not the gender of the indirect object (lhe, lhes).
Comprei um chapéu a Maria.(I bought a hat for Maria.) →Comprei-lho.(lhobecauseo chapéuis masculine singular.)Comprei uma gravata a João.(I bought a tie for João.) →Comprei-lha.(lhabecausea gravatais feminine singular.)
Generally, verbs that inherently cannot take both a direct and an indirect object will not use these fusions. For instance, an intransitive verb like caminhar (to walk) cannot take a direct object, so pronoun fusions involving DOP would not apply. Similarly, some verbs require specific prepositions for their indirect object that prevent simple lhe/lhes usage, but these are rarer exceptions at this level.
no-lo and vo-lo sound when pronounced?The pronunciation for no-lo/no-la/no-los/no-las and vo-lo/vo-la/vo-los/vo-las typically features a slightly more open o sound for the first part (no/vo) and then the standard o/a sound for the second part. The hyphen indicates a slight pause or clear articulation of both components, though in rapid speech, they blend seamlessly. The l inserted is pronounced clearly.
-ão or -em? Do they change before these fusions?Verbs ending in -ão (e.g., deram, fizeram) or -em (e.g., fazem, têm) do not drop these endings. The fused pronoun attaches directly after the verb with a hyphen, just as other object pronouns would. For example:
Eles deram o livro a ele.→Eles deram-lho.Eles fazem o jantar para nós.→Eles fazem-no-lo.
The Lho Fusion Matrix
| Indirect | Direct | Result |
|---|---|---|
|
lhe
|
o
|
lho
|
|
lhe
|
a
|
lha
|
|
lhe
|
os
|
lhos
|
|
lhe
|
as
|
lhas
|
|
lhes
|
o
|
lho
|
|
lhes
|
a
|
lha
|
Meanings
This rule governs the mandatory contraction of two clitic pronouns when they appear consecutively in a sentence.
Indirect + Direct Object
Combining an indirect object (to him/her) with a direct object (it/them).
“Eu vendo-lho agora.”
“Ela entregou-lha ontem.”
Reference Table
| 間接目的語(受け取り手) | 直接目的語(対象物) | 結合形 | 例文 |
|---|---|---|---|
|
me (私に)
|
o (それを/彼を)
|
mo
|
Ele deu-mo (彼はそれを私にくれた)
|
|
te (君に)
|
as (それらを/女性名詞)
|
tas
|
Eu dou-tas (私はそれらを君にあげる)
|
|
lhe (彼/彼女に)
|
o (それを/男性名詞)
|
lho
|
Ela disse-lho (彼女はそれを彼に言った)
|
|
nos (私たちに)
|
a (それを/女性名詞)
|
no-la
|
Eles deram-no-la (彼らはそれを私たちにくれた)
|
|
lhes (彼らに)
|
os (それらを/男性名詞)
|
lhos
|
Enviei-lhos (私はそれらを彼らに送った)
|
フォーマル度スペクトル
Eu entrego-lho. (Giving a gift)
Eu dou-lho. (Giving a gift)
Eu dou pra ele. (Giving a gift)
Dou pra ele. (Giving a gift)
融合リアクター
材料 1 (人)
- Me / Te / Lhe 間接目的語
材料 2 (物)
- O / A / Os / As 直接目的語
結果
- Mo / To / Lho 結合代名詞
口語 vs 結合形
Lheのマトリックス
彼に + それを (男)
- • Lho
彼女に + それを (女)
- • Lha
彼らに + それを (男)
- • Lho
「Lho」を使うべき?
受け取り手(彼/彼女)はいますか?
直接の対象物(それ)はありますか?
ブラジルのカジュアルなBBQ中ですか?
レベル別の例文
Eu dou o livro.
I give the book.
Eu dou o livro a ele.
I give the book to him.
Eu dou-lho.
I give it to him.
Ele enviou-lha ontem.
He sent it (the letter) to her yesterday.
Se puderes, entrega-lhos.
If you can, deliver them to him.
Não lhas entregues ainda.
Do not deliver them (the keys) to her yet.
間違えやすい
Learners mix up Portuguese 'lho' with Spanish 'se lo'.
よくある間違い
Dou lhe o
Dou-lho
Lho dou
Dou-lho
Dou-lhes-o
Dou-lho
Entrego-lhe-a
Entrego-lha
文型パターン
Eu ___ o presente.
Real World Usage
Envio-lho em anexo.
Ele entregou-lho.
Dou-lho agora.
Transmito-lho.
Apresento-lho.
Envio-lho depois.
ブラジルでの現実
lho を口にすると、マクドナルドでシェイクスピアを演じているような、少し気取った印象を与えちゃうかも。書き言葉だけで使うのが無難ですよ: Eu lho envio por e-mail.
曖昧さに注意!
Lho は「彼に」「彼女に」「あなたに」「彼らに」のどれを指すか文脈次第です。誰のことかハッキリしない時は、結合させない方が親切ですね: Eu entreguei o livro a ele.
「S」を食べる代名詞
Nos と Vos は食いしん坊だと覚えておいて。後ろに o/a が来ると、自分の s を消して l を足しちゃうんです: Eles deram-no-la com prazer.
Smart Tips
Use 'lho' to sound professional.
Recognize 'lho' as 'lhe' + 'o'.
Use 'lho' for natural flow.
Always check for fusion.
発音
Stress
The stress remains on the verb.
Falling
Dou-lho.
Statement of fact
暗記しよう
記憶術
Lhe + O = Lho. Think of it as 'Lhe' losing its 'e' to hug the 'o'.
視覚的連想
Imagine a letter 'e' falling off a 'Lhe' block, allowing it to snap perfectly onto an 'o' block like a puzzle piece.
Rhyme
Lhe plus O, makes it Lho, that is how the pronouns go.
Story
Maria has a gift for João. She wants to give it to him. She says 'Dou-lho'. The gift is now with João.
Word Web
チャレンジ
Write 5 sentences using 'lho' today.
文化メモ
Very common in daily speech.
Mostly formal/written.
Formal usage.
Derived from Latin 'illi' + 'illum'.
会話のきっかけ
Onde está o livro? Pode dar-lho?
日記のテーマ
よくある間違い
Test Yourself
Ela me deu o livro. Ela ___ deu.
Eu entreguei as cartas a eles. Eu ___ entreguei.
Eu lhes o disse ontem.
Score: /3
練習問題
8 exercisesEu dou o livro a ele. Eu ___.
Qual é a correta?
Find and fix the mistake:
Eu vendo-lhe-o.
Eu entrego o relatório a ela.
Lhe + o = Lho?
A: Onde está o presente? B: Eu ___.
eu / dar / o / a ele
Lhe + os
Score: /8
Practice Bank
10 exercises結合形とその元の組み合わせを繋げてください。
Você quer a caneta? Eu ___ dou.
私たちはクライアントに契約書を送りました。
文章を並べ替えてください: não / eu / disse / to
私はそれを(男性名詞)彼女に与えました。
Ela queria a camisa, então eu lho dei.
Os documentos? O chefe ___ enviou ontem.
次のフレーズを特定してください:
フレーズを一致させてください。
Solicito a vossa atenção. Solicito-___.
Score: /10
よくある質問 (8)
Only in formal writing.
No, it's incorrect.
Yes, 'lhes' + 'o' = 'lho'.
Yes, in standard Portuguese.
The pronouns go before the verb.
It takes practice.
In formal contexts.
Write sentences.
Scaffolded Practice
1
2
3
4
Mastery Progress
Needs Practice
Improving
Strong
Mastered
In Other Languages
se lo
Portuguese uses 'lho', Spanish uses 'se lo'.
le lui
No fusion in French.
ihm es
No fusion.
kare ni sore o
No fusion.
u'tihi iyyahu
Different structure.
gei ta ta
No fusion.
Learning Path
Prerequisites
Learn These First
Continue With
Related Grammar Rules
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### Overview ポルトガル語の所有代名詞(所有形容詞および所有代名詞)は、単なる「私の」「あなたの」という翻訳を超え、C1レ...
ポルトガル語の目的語代名詞:私を、君を、彼を、彼女を (me, te, o, a)
### Overview ポルトガル語学習において、直接目的語代名詞(Direct Object Pronouns:`me`, `te`, `o`, `a`, `nos`, `vos`, `o...