B1 Pronouns 17 min read Medium

Pronoun Placement with Gerunds (fazendo-o vs te fazendo)

In casual Brazilian Portuguese, put the pronoun between the auxiliary and the gerund (estou te vendo), but in formal writing, attach it to the end with a hyphen (vendo-te).
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Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds

In Brazil, pronouns usually go before the gerund (te fazendo), while in Portugal, they attach to the end (fazendo-te).

  • Brazilian Portuguese (BP) prefers proclisis: 'Estou te vendo' (I am seeing you).
  • European Portuguese (EP) prefers enclisis: 'Estou a ver-te' (I am seeing you).
  • Negative sentences in both dialects pull the pronoun before the gerund: 'Não te vendo'.
BP: [Pronoun] + [Gerund] | EP: [Gerund] + [-] + [Pronoun]

Overview

Mastering pronoun placement with Portuguese gerunds (-ndo verbs like fazendo, comendo, falando) is crucial for both clarity and sounding natural. This grammar point presents significant differences between Brazilian Portuguese (BP) and European Portuguese (EP), and also between formal and informal registers. Understanding these nuances allows you to communicate effectively, whether in casual conversation or formal writing.

The core challenge involves determining if an object pronoun (me, te, o, a, nos, vos, os, as, lhe, lhes) attaches before (proclisis) or after (enclisis) the gerund, or potentially a preceding auxiliary verb.

Gerunds denote an ongoing action. When an object pronoun is involved, it signifies who or what is directly or indirectly receiving that action. The placement of this pronoun is not arbitrary; it follows a set of rules influenced by various linguistic factors, including the presence of attracting words, the dialect, and the formality of the context.

Incorrect placement, while often understandable, can sound unnatural or even grammatically incorrect, particularly in formal settings.

How This Grammar Works

The gerund in Portuguese functions primarily as an adverb, describing how an action is performed, or as part of a compound tense, indicating an ongoing process. Object pronouns, such as me (me), te (you, singular informal), o/a (him/it, her/it), nos (us), vos (you, plural informal, primarily EP), and os/as (them), as well as lhe/lhes (to him/her/it, to them), directly or indirectly receive the action of the verb.
The placement of these pronouns relative to the gerund is governed by two main principles: proclisis and enclisis. Proclisis occurs when the pronoun precedes the verb, while enclisis occurs when it follows the verb, attached by a hyphen. Unlike infinitives, the gerund itself never changes its spelling when a pronoun is attached through enclisis; only a hyphen is added.
Historically, Portuguese favors enclisis. However, in modern Brazilian Portuguese, proclisis has become dominant, especially in spoken language and informal contexts, often leading to a pronoun preceding the gerund even without a traditionally attracting word. European Portuguese, on the other hand, maintains a stricter adherence to enclisis, and for progressive actions, often prefers the construction estar a + infinitive over estar + gerund.
Several factors act as attracting words (palavras atrativas) that pull the pronoun before the verb. These include negative words (não, nunca), adverbs (sempre, já), interrogative words (quem, onde), certain conjunctions (que, quando), and indefinite pronouns (tudo, alguém). When such a word precedes a gerund or a verb phrase containing a gerund, it typically mandates proclisis.
Consider the sentence "I am doing it." In BP, you might hear Eu estou o fazendo (formal) or Eu estou te fazendo (informal, if 'it' refers to 'you') or even Eu estou fazendo ele (very informal, technically incorrect). In EP, it would more formally be Estou a fazê-lo (using the infinitive) or Estou fazendo-o (less common for progressives, more for adverbial uses). This divergence highlights the importance of understanding regional preferences and formality levels.

Formation Pattern

1
Forming sentences with gerunds and object pronouns requires adherence to specific patterns, primarily depending on the presence of attracting words, the dialect (BP vs. EP), and the formality level. The core idea is to identify whether the pronoun will attach after the gerund (enclisis) or before it (proclisis).
2
1. Enclisis: Pronoun Attached After the Gerund
3
This pattern is generally observed when no word precedes the gerund or its auxiliary that would otherwise attract the pronoun. It is the default in formal Portuguese, particularly European Portuguese, when expressing adverbial meanings or when the gerund starts a clause.
4
Structure: [Gerund]-o/-a/-os/-as or [Gerund]-lhe/-lhes
5
Note: The gerund form itself (fazendo, comendo, dizendo) never changes spelling when an object pronoun is attached. This is a key distinction from infinitives, which do change (fazer + o = fazê-lo).
6
Examples:
7
Levantando-se, ele percebeu o atraso. (Getting up, he realized the delay.)
8
Ajudando-os, senti-me realizado. (Helping them, I felt fulfilled.)
9
Dizendo-lhe a verdade, libertei-me de um peso. (Telling him/her the truth, I freed myself from a burden.)
10
Table: Common Gerund + Pronoun Enclisis
11
| Gerund Base | Pronoun (o/a/os/as) | Pronoun (lhe/lhes) |
12
| :---------- | :--------------------------- | :-------------------- |
13
| fazendo | fazendo-o, fazendo-a | fazendo-lhe |
14
| lendo | lendo-o, lendo-a | lendo-lhe |
15
| escrevendo| escrevendo-o, escrevendo-a | escrevendo-lhe |
16
2. Proclisis: Pronoun Attached Before the Gerund (or Auxiliary)
17
Proclisis is triggered by specific attracting words that precede the verb or the verb phrase containing the gerund. This is the dominant pattern in modern Brazilian Portuguese for progressive tenses and is also used in formal contexts (both BP and EP) when an attractor is present.
18
Structure: [Attracting Word] + [Pronoun] + [Auxiliary Verb (if any)] + [Gerund]
19
In compound tenses (estar + gerund), the pronoun typically attaches to the auxiliary verb first. If no auxiliary is present, it attaches directly to the gerund, provided an attracting word is present.
20
Common Attracting Words:
21
Negative words: não, nunca, jamais, nem, ninguém, nada.
22
Não o estou fazendo. (I am not doing it.)
23
Nunca o vendo, ela nunca perde a esperança. (Never selling it, she never loses hope.)
24
Adverbs: já, ainda, sempre, muito, aqui, ali, bem, mal, talvez.
25
Sempre me surpreendendo, ele apareceu. (Always surprising me, he appeared.)
26
Já o estou terminando. (I am already finishing it.)
27
Indefinite pronouns/adjectives: tudo, alguém, nada, poucos, muitos.
28
Tudo nos estava preocupando. (Everything was worrying us.)
29
Interrogative words: quem, onde, quando, como, quanto.
30
Quem o está procurando? (Who is looking for him?) -> Note: here 'quem' attracts 'o' to 'está'.
31
Subordinating Conjunctions: que, quando, se, embora, para que.
32
Ele disse que me estava esperando. (He said that he was waiting for me.)
33
Quando se está aprendendo, erros são naturais. (When one is learning, errors are natural.)
34
Special Case: Em se tratando de... (When it comes to...)
35
This common idiomatic expression always uses proclisis with se after em and before the gerund. This is a fixed phrase.
36
Em se tratando de política, ele é especialista. (When it comes to politics, he is an expert.)
37
3. Pronoun Placement with Auxiliary Verbs (BP vs. EP Progressive Tense)
38
When a gerund is used with an auxiliary verb (most commonly estar for progressive actions), pronoun placement differs significantly between BP and EP.
39
| Context | Brazilian Portuguese (BP) | European Portuguese (EP) |
40
| :---------- | :------------------------------------------------------- | :-------------------------------------------------------------- |
41
| Formal/Written | Estou o fazendo. (Proclisis to auxiliary) | Estou a fazê-lo. (Preferred: a + infinitive) |
42
| | Estou fazendo-o. (Less common, but grammatically correct) | Estou fazendo-o. (Possible, but less frequent for progressives) |
43
| Informal/Spoken | Estou te fazendo. (Proclisis to gerund, very common) | Estou a fazê-lo. (Still preferred) |
44
| | Tô fazendo ele/ela. (Very informal, object pronoun as subject pronoun, technically incorrect but widespread) | Estou-te a fazê-lo. (Pronoun between auxiliary and 'a' + infinitive) |
45
Key Insight: In BP, estar + pronoun + gerund (Estou te esperando) is overwhelmingly common in informal speech. In EP, the a + infinitive construction (estar a fazer) is preferred for progressive actions, and if the gerund is used, enclisis is more rigid.

When To Use It

The application of pronoun placement rules with gerunds depends on the communicative intent, the verb structure, and the specific dialect. You will encounter these constructions primarily in two scenarios: expressing ongoing actions (progressive aspect) and describing the manner or cause of an action (adverbial function).
1. Expressing Progressive Actions (Ongoing Events)
This is the most common use of estar + gerund, signifying an action happening at the moment of speaking or within a specific timeframe.
  • In Brazilian Portuguese (BP): Proclisis is highly favored, often with the pronoun preceding the auxiliary or, in informal contexts, the gerund itself.
  • Estou te ligando agora. (I'm calling you now.) – Informal BP, pronoun te before gerund.
  • Ele está me ajudando com o projeto. (He is helping me with the project.) – Informal BP, pronoun me before gerund.
  • Não o estamos vendo. (We are not seeing him.) – Formal BP, não attracts o to estamos.
  • In European Portuguese (EP): While estar + gerund is grammatically correct, the construction estar a + infinitive is significantly more common and natural for progressive actions.
  • Estou a ligar-te agora. (I'm calling you now.) – Preferred EP for progressive, te with infinitive.
  • Ele está a ajudar-me com o projeto. (He is helping me with the project.) – Preferred EP.
  • If a gerund is used for progressives in EP, and there's no strong attracting word, enclisis is expected:
  • Estou ajudando-o. (I am helping him.) – Grammatically correct EP, but less common than Estou a ajudá-lo.
2. Adverbial Function (Manner, Cause, or Consequence)
Gerunds can modify the main verb, indicating how or by what means an action is performed, or its cause/consequence. In these cases, the gerund often acts independently or introduces a subordinate clause.
  • General Rule (BP & EP, formal): If the gerund starts a sentence or clause and there are no preceding attracting words, the pronoun typically attaches to the gerund via enclisis.
  • Estudando-o cuidadosamente, ele compreendeu a matéria. (Studying it carefully, he understood the subject.) – Enclisis, gerund starts the clause.
  • Aguardando-a ansiosamente, o noivo olhava para a porta. (Awaiting her anxiously, the groom looked at the door.)
  • With Attracting Words: If an attracting word precedes the adverbial gerund, proclisis occurs.
  • Não o conseguindo, ele pediu ajuda. (Not achieving it, he asked for help.) – Não attracts o.
  • Sempre me esforçando, atingi meus objetivos. (Always striving, I reached my goals.) – Sempre attracts me.
3. Reflexive Actions
When the gerund describes an action performed by the subject upon itself, reflexive pronouns (me, te, se, nos, vos) are used. Placement follows the same rules as direct/indirect object pronouns.
  • Ele estava se preparando para a viagem. (He was preparing himself for the trip.) – Informal BP, proclisis to gerund.
  • Ele estava preparando-se para a viagem. (He was preparing himself for the trip.) – Formal BP/EP, enclisis to gerund (or auxiliary for EP).
  • Em se vendo ao espelho, ela sorriu. (Seeing herself in the mirror, she smiled.) – Em attracts se.
4. Formality and Register
  • Formal/Written Portuguese (BP & EP): Adhere strictly to attracting word rules for proclisis. When no attractor is present, prefer enclisis. Avoid initial pronoun placement without an attractor. For progressives in EP, prefer estar a + infinitive.
  • Informal/Spoken Brazilian Portuguese: High flexibility. Proclisis to the gerund is extremely common, even without traditional attractors. The use of subject pronouns as direct objects (fazendo ele/ela) is widespread but considered grammatically incorrect.
  • Eu tô te falando. (I'm telling you.)
  • A gente tá se vendo amanhã. (We're seeing each other tomorrow.)

Common Mistakes

Learners frequently stumble with gerund pronoun placement due to the interplay of attracting words, dialectal variations, and the distinction from infinitive forms. Recognizing these common pitfalls is key to achieving accuracy and naturalness.
1. Initial Pronoun Placement Without an Attractor
This is perhaps the most prevalent error, especially among BP speakers influenced by casual speech patterns. A weak object pronoun (like me, te, o, se) cannot begin a sentence or independent clause in formal Portuguese without an attracting word.
  • Incorrect: *Me vendo ao espelho, percebi algo.
  • Correct (Formal): Vendo-me ao espelho, percebi algo. (Seeing myself in the mirror, I noticed something.)
  • Context: While Me vendo... is common in informal spoken BP, it is strictly avoided in formal writing and European Portuguese.
2. Forgetting the Hyphen in Enclisis
When a pronoun attaches after the gerund, a hyphen is mandatory. Omitting it is a common oversight.
  • Incorrect: *Estou fazendoo. (I am doing it.)
  • Correct: Estou fazendo-o.
  • Incorrect: *Ela estava ligandome. (She was calling me.)
  • Correct: Ela estava ligando-me.
3. Confusing Gerund Enclisis with Infinitive Enclisis
This is a critical distinction. When an object pronoun (o, a, os, as) attaches to an infinitive, the infinitive's ending changes (e.g., fazer + o = fazê-lo). With gerunds, there is never a change to the gerund's spelling; only the hyphen is added.
  • Gerund: fazendo + o = fazendo-o (no spelling change)
  • Infinitive: fazer + o = fazê-lo (spelling change: r drops, e becomes ê)
  • Incorrect: *Estou fazê-lo. (Attempting infinitive rule on a gerund)
  • Correct: Estou fazendo-o. (Or Estou a fazê-lo in EP.)
4. Over-Applying BP Informal Proclisis in Formal Contexts or EP
While estar + pronoun + gerund (estou te falando) is natural in informal BP, it sounds out of place in formal writing or in European Portuguese.
  • Incorrect (in formal BP/EP): *A empresa está nos fornecendo dados.
  • Correct (Formal BP): A empresa está nos fornecendo dados. (Here, nos is attracted to está). Or A empresa está fornecendo-nos dados.
  • Correct (EP progressive): A empresa está a fornecer-nos dados.
5. Ignoring Attracting Words for Proclisis
Failing to place the pronoun before the verb (or auxiliary) when an attracting word is present leads to grammatical errors in all registers.
  • Incorrect: *Não estou fazendo-o.
  • Correct: Não o estou fazendo. (The negative word não mandates proclisis of o to estou.)
  • Incorrect: *Sempre aprendendo-o, a vida se torna mais rica.
  • Correct: Sempre o aprendendo, a vida se torna mais rica. (The adverb sempre mandates proclisis of o to aprendendo.)
6. Using Subject Pronouns as Direct Objects (Informal BP)
This is a pervasive feature of very informal spoken BP, but it is strictly ungrammatical and should be avoided in any formal or written context.
  • Incorrect (grammatically): *Tô fazendo ele. (I'm doing him/it.)
  • Correct (grammatically): Estou fazendo-o. (Formal) or Estou o fazendo. (Formal, with auxiliary proclisis).
  • Context: While this structure is understood and used widely in casual BP, it's crucial for learners to distinguish it from standard grammar.

Real Conversations

Understanding how pronoun placement with gerunds manifests in authentic communication provides invaluable context. The rules you've learned are applied differently across registers and dialects.

1. Informal Spoken Brazilian Portuguese (BP)

In casual BP, especially in rapid speech, contractions (tô for estou), pronoun redundancy, and flexible placement are common. Proclisis to the gerund, even without a formal attracting word, is the norm.

- Texting/Messaging:

- Tô te mandando a foto agora. (I'm sending you the photo now.) – te before mandando.

- Ele tá me ligando o tempo todo. (He's calling me all the time.) – me before ligando.

- A gente tava se encontrando mais cedo. (We were meeting earlier.) – se before encontrando.

- Casual Conversation:

- Cê tá me ouvindo? (Are you hearing me?) – Common informal cê (você) and me before ouvindo.

- Vou tá te explicando depois. (I'll be explaining it to you later.) – Future progressive with proclisis.

2. Formal Written Brazilian Portuguese

Formal writing adheres more closely to traditional grammar rules, prioritizing proclisis when an attractor is present, and enclisis otherwise.

- Official Communication/Emails:

- Aguardando-o ansiosamente, confirmo o recebimento. (Awaiting it/him anxiously, I confirm receipt.) – Enclisis, gerund starts the clause.

- Não o tendo encontrado, procedemos com a alternativa. (Not having found it/him, we proceeded with the alternative.) – Não attracts o.

- A gerência está nos orientando sobre o novo processo. (The management is guiding us on the new process.) – nos attracted to está.

3. European Portuguese (EP)

EP maintains stricter adherence to enclisis. For progressive actions, the estar a + infinitive construction is generally preferred, but when gerunds are used, pronoun placement is consistent with formal rules.

- Progressive Actions (Preferred):

- Estou a ligar-te agora. (I'm calling you now.) – a + infinitive is standard.

- Ele está a ajudar-me com o projeto. (He is helping me with the project.) – a + infinitive.

- Adverbial Gerunds (Common):

- Conseguindo-o, avisarei. (Achieving it, I will inform you.) – Enclisis, gerund starts the clause.

- Não o querendo prejudicar, agi com cautela. (Not wanting to harm him, I acted with caution.) – Não attracts o to querendo.

4. Idiomatic Expressions

Some fixed expressions consistently use a particular pronoun placement, often following the formal rules.

- Em se tratando de... (When it comes to...):

- Em se tratando de futebol, ele é um perito. (When it comes to football, he is an expert.) – Fixed proclisis after em.

C

Cultural Note

The flexibility of pronoun placement in informal BP, particularly the common estou te fazendo construction, reflects a broader trend of linguistic simplification and a preference for phonetic flow over strict grammatical adherence. This differs from EP, where a more conservative approach to grammar is maintained, leading to distinct listening experiences for learners.

Quick FAQ

Q: Can I use Estou fazendo-o in Brazil?

Yes, Estou fazendo-o is grammatically correct in Brazilian Portuguese. However, it sounds quite formal and even a bit archaic in casual spoken contexts. In everyday conversations, Brazilians would much more commonly say Estou te fazendo (if 'o' refers to 'you' as an indirect object) or rephrase, perhaps using Estou fazendo isso/aquilo (I'm doing this/that) to avoid the direct object pronoun altogether. For direct objects, informal BP often uses the subject pronoun: Tô fazendo ele/ela (I'm doing him/her/it), which is technically incorrect but widespread.

Q: How do negative words affect pronoun placement with gerunds?

Negative words such as não, nunca, jamais, ninguém, and nada are strong attracting words. They always pull the pronoun before the verb or the auxiliary verb in a compound tense (which includes gerunds). This rule applies consistently across both Brazilian and European Portuguese, in both formal and informal registers.

  • Example: Não o estou fazendo. (I am not doing it.)
  • Example: Nunca me vendo triste, ela se surpreendeu. (Never seeing me sad, she was surprised.)
Q: What happens when there are two object pronouns with a gerund?

This is a more advanced scenario. The general principle is that the pronoun order is usually indirect object + direct object. However, using two object pronouns with a gerund can sound clunky, especially in spoken BP, and often leads to rephrasing.

  • European Portuguese (and formal BP, though rare): The pronouns attach to the verb. If both are lhe/lhes and o/a/os/as, lhe/lhes comes first. Ele estava entregando-lho. (He was delivering it to him/her.) This form (mesoclisis with lhe + o) is highly formal and mostly found in literature.
  • Brazilian Portuguese (Informal): It's far more common to rephrase using prepositions or different pronouns/constructions.
  • Instead of *Estou te o dando, you'd likely hear: Estou dando isso pra você. (I'm giving this to you.) or Estou te entregando ele. (I'm delivering it to you.) (informal, using subject pronoun as object).
Q: Is te fazendo always acceptable in BP?

In informal spoken Brazilian Portuguese, te fazendo (or me fazendo, nos fazendo, etc.) is widely accepted and used. It implies the pronoun is attracted to the preceding auxiliary (even if unstated) or directly to the gerund itself, overriding the formal rule that requires an explicit attracting word or enclisis. However, in formal written BP, estar + pronoun + gerund (estou te ligando) is still considered less formal than estou a ligar-te (EP) or estou ligando-te (formal BP, less common for progressive) and estou a te ligar (BP, more acceptable). For the highest formality, ensure an attracting word precedes the auxiliary or use enclisis if appropriate.

Q: Why do EP speakers use a + infinitive instead of gerunds for progressive actions?

The preference for estar a + infinitive in European Portuguese (e.g., Estou a trabalhar – I am working) compared to estar + gerund (Estou trabalhando) in Brazilian Portuguese is a significant dialectal divergence rooted in historical linguistic evolution. Both are grammatically correct ways to express progressive actions in Portuguese. Over time, BP developed a stronger preference for the gerund construction, while EP maintained and strengthened the a + infinitive form, which some linguists argue has roots in older Romance languages and was also present in earlier forms of Portuguese. This distinction is one of the most noticeable differences between the two main variants of the language.

Pronoun Placement with Gerunds

Dialect Affirmative Negative Example
BP
Estou te vendo
Não te estou vendo
Estou te vendo
EP
Estou a ver-te
Não te estou a ver
Estou a ver-te

Meanings

This rule governs where to place object pronouns when using the gerund form of a verb.

1

Direct Object Attachment

Attaching a pronoun to a gerund to indicate the recipient of the action.

“Estou te amando.”

“Estou fazendo-o agora.”

Reference Table

Reference table for Pronoun Placement with Gerunds (fazendo-o vs te fazendo)
Form Structure Example
BP Affirmative
Verb-ndo + Pronoun
Estou te vendo
BP Negative
Não + Pronoun + Verb-ndo
Não te estou vendo
EP Affirmative
Verb-a + a + Inf + -Pronoun
Estou a ver-te
EP Negative
Não + Pronoun + Verb-a + a + Inf
Não te estou a ver
Formal O/A
Verb-ndo + -o/a
Estou fazendo-o
Formal Negative
Não + o/a + Verb-ndo
Não o estou fazendo

Formality Spectrum

Formal
Estou a chamar-lhe.

Estou a chamar-lhe. (Communication)

Neutral
Estou te chamando.

Estou te chamando. (Communication)

Informal
Tô te chamando.

Tô te chamando. (Communication)

Slang
Tô te ligando.

Tô te ligando. (Communication)

Pronoun Placement Logic

Gerund

Brazil

  • Proclisis Before the verb

Portugal

  • Enclisis After the verb

BP vs EP Gerund

BP
Estou te vendo I am seeing you
EP
Estou a ver-te I am seeing you
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Examples by Level

1

Estou te vendo.

I am seeing you.

2

Estou te esperando.

I am waiting for you.

3

Estou te ouvindo.

I am listening to you.

4

Estou te amando.

I am loving you.

1

Não te estou vendo.

I am not seeing you.

2

Estou a ver-te.

I am seeing you.

3

Estou te chamando.

I am calling you.

4

Estou a chamar-te.

I am calling you.

1

Estou fazendo-o agora.

I am doing it now.

2

Não o estou fazendo.

I am not doing it.

3

Estou a fazê-lo.

I am doing it.

4

Estou te procurando.

I am looking for you.

1

Estão nos seguindo.

They are following us.

2

Estão a seguir-nos.

They are following us.

3

Não nos estão seguindo.

They are not following us.

4

Estou te dizendo a verdade.

I am telling you the truth.

1

Estou vendo-a chegar.

I am seeing her arrive.

2

Não a estou vendo.

I am not seeing her.

3

Estou a vê-la chegar.

I am seeing her arrive.

4

Estou te recomendando este livro.

I am recommending this book to you.

1

Estou fazendo-o com cuidado.

I am doing it carefully.

2

Não o estou fazendo com cuidado.

I am not doing it carefully.

3

Estou a fazê-lo com cuidado.

I am doing it carefully.

4

Estou te assegurando que é verdade.

I am assuring you it is true.

Easily Confused

Pronoun Placement with Gerunds (fazendo-o vs te fazendo) vs Infinitive vs Gerund

Both use pronouns.

Pronoun Placement with Gerunds (fazendo-o vs te fazendo) vs Direct vs Indirect

Using 'lhe' for direct objects.

Pronoun Placement with Gerunds (fazendo-o vs te fazendo) vs BP vs EP

Mixing the two.

Common Mistakes

✗

Estou a ver te

✓

Estou a ver-te

Missing hyphen in EP.
✗

Estou te a ver

✓

Estou a ver-te

Mixing BP and EP structures.
✗

Estou fazendo-lhe

✓

Estou fazendo-o

Lhe is for indirect objects.
✗

Não estou fazendo-o

✓

Não o estou fazendo

Negation pulls the pronoun.

Sentence Patterns

Estou ___ ___.

Não ___ estou ___.

Estou a ___ -___.

Estou ___ -___.

Real World Usage

Texting constant

Tô te esperando!

Social Media very common

Estou te seguindo.

Job Interview common

Estou me dedicando ao projeto.

Travel common

Estou te procurando.

Food Delivery occasional

Estou te esperando na porta.

Academic common

Estou fazendo-o com rigor.

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💡

Consistency

Choose BP or EP and stick to it.
⚠️

Hyphens

Always use hyphens in EP enclisis.
🎯

Negation

Negation always pulls the pronoun.
💬

Regionalism

BP is more common in the Americas.

Smart Tips

Check your region.

Estou a ver te. → Estou a ver-te.

Put the pronoun first.

Não estou te vendo. → Não te estou vendo.

Use a hyphen.

Estou fazendo o. → Estou fazendo-o.

Use enclisis.

Estou te vendo. → Estou a ver-te.

Pronunciation

ver-te (ver-tuh)

Hyphenation

The hyphen indicates a single phonetic unit.

Rising

Estou te vendo?

Questioning tone.

Memorize It

Mnemonic

B for Brazil, Before the verb. P for Portugal, Post-verb (after).

Visual Association

Imagine a Brazilian friend pushing the pronoun to the front of the line, while a Portuguese friend pulls it to the back.

Rhyme

In Brazil the pronoun goes to the front, in Portugal it takes the back hunt.

Story

Maria is in Rio saying 'Estou te amando'. She flies to Lisbon and says 'Estou a amar-te'. She realizes the pronoun is a traveler that changes seats based on the city.

Word Web

meteoanosfazendovendo

Challenge

Write 5 sentences about your day using a pronoun and a gerund, then rewrite them for the other dialect.

Cultural Notes

Very informal and fluid.

More formal and structured.

Often follows EP patterns.

Derived from Latin gerundium.

Conversation Starters

“

O que você está fazendo?

“

Você está me ouvindo?

“

O que eles estão fazendo?

“

Você está me entendendo?

Journal Prompts

Describe what you are doing right now.
Write a letter to a friend.
Compare your day with a friend's.
Reflect on a conversation you had.

Common Mistakes

Incorrect

Correct

Incorrect

Correct

Incorrect

Correct

Incorrect

Correct

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Test Yourself

Fill in the blank.

Estou ___ vendo.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: a
BP proclisis.
Fix the sentence. Error Correction

Find and fix the mistake:

Estou a ver te.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: a
Hyphen needed.
Pick the correct form. Multiple Choice

Não ___ estou vendo.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: a
Negation pulls pronoun.
Change to EP. Sentence Transformation

Estou te vendo.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: a
EP uses a+inf.
True or False? True False Rule

Negation pulls the pronoun to the front in both dialects.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: a
Correct.
Complete the dialogue. Dialogue Completion

A: O que você está fazendo? B: Estou ___.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: a
Direct object.
Build the sentence. Sentence Building

estou / te / esperando

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: a
BP order.
Match the dialect. Match Pairs

Match each item on the left with its pair on the right:

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: a
BP vs EP.

Score: /8

Practice Exercises

8 exercises
Fill in the blank.

Estou ___ vendo.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: a
BP proclisis.
Fix the sentence. Error Correction

Find and fix the mistake:

Estou a ver te.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: a
Hyphen needed.
Pick the correct form. Multiple Choice

Não ___ estou vendo.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: a
Negation pulls pronoun.
Change to EP. Sentence Transformation

Estou te vendo.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: a
EP uses a+inf.
True or False? True False Rule

Negation pulls the pronoun to the front in both dialects.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: a
Correct.
Complete the dialogue. Dialogue Completion

A: O que você está fazendo? B: Estou ___.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: a
Direct object.
Build the sentence. Sentence Building

estou / te / esperando

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: a
BP order.
Match the dialect. Match Pairs

Estou te vendo vs Estou a ver-te

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: a
BP vs EP.

Score: /8

Practice Bank

11 exercises
Place the pronoun correctly for formal writing. Fill in the Blank

O governo anunciou medidas, ___ (basear/se) em novos dados.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: baseando-se
Which sentence shows standard European Portuguese usage? Multiple Choice

Choose the option commonly used in Portugal.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Estou a esperar-te.
Correct the hyphenation error. Error Correction

Estou lavandoo agora mesmo.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Estou lavando-o agora mesmo.
Arrange to form a casual Brazilian sentence. Sentence Reorder

te / estou / procurando / Eu

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Eu estou te procurando
Select the correct negative structure. Multiple Choice

She isn't answering me.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Ela não está me respondendo.
Match the phrase to its formality level. Match Pairs

Match the sentence style.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: {"Em se tratando":"Fixed Idiom","T\u00f4 te ligando":"Casual BP","Sentindo-se bem":"Sentence Start","Estou ligando-te":"Formal\/EP"}
Complete the reflexive verb phrase. Fill in the Blank

Ele passa o dia ___ (queixar-se).

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: se queixando
Fix the placement for a sentence starter. Error Correction

Nos vendo sozinhos, fugimos.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Vendo-nos sozinhos, fugimos.
Translate 'Watching us' using formal grammar. Translation

Watching us

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Olhando-nos
Which is the correct form for 'Em + Gerund'? Multiple Choice

Identify the correct idiom structure.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Em se fazendo
Formal writing: 'Seeking him...' Fill in the Blank

___ (Procurar) o irmão, ela viajou.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Procurando-o

Score: /11

FAQ (8)

It is a feature of BP proclisis.

No, it is a mix of dialects.

For direct objects.

Yes, in EP enclisis.

You should pick one.

It depends on the structure.

Only for indirect objects.

It is a universal rule.

Scaffolded Practice

1

1

2

2

3

3

4

4

Mastery Progress

Needs Practice

Improving

Strong

Mastered

Sign up free to practice

In Other Languages

Spanish high

Estoy viéndote

Spanish is more rigid with enclisis.

French moderate

Je suis en train de te voir

French doesn't use a simple gerund.

German low

Ich sehe dich gerade

No gerund structure.

Japanese low

Anata o mite iru

SOV word order.

Arabic low

Ana araka

Different morphology.

Chinese low

Wo zai kan ni

No conjugation.

Learning Path

Prerequisites

Previous
Portuguese Pronoun Placement with Infinitives: me ver or ver-me?

Learn These First

B1 Requires

Portuguese Pronoun Placement: Before the Verb (Proclisis)

Overview Portuguese pronoun placement, encompassing proclisis (before verb), enclisis (after verb), and mesoclisis (with...
B1 Requires

Portuguese Object Pronouns: Enclisis (The Hyphenated Form)

Overview In Portuguese, object pronouns—the words for "me," "him," "her," and "us" that receive a verb's action—don't h...

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