Where Do Pronouns Go in Brazilian Portuguese? Me Disseram and Common Patterns — Practice

Start with the pattern you will hear

In everyday Brazilian Portuguese, an unstressed pronoun commonly comes before a conjugated verb: me falaram (they told me), te entendo (I understand you), and se chama (is called). This is called próclise.

The pronoun is attached in writing, but it is usually pronounced as part of the phrase. Learn the whole chunk rather than translating word by word from English.

Notice how a word before the verb can attract the pronoun

Negative words, question words, and certain connecting words typically place the pronoun before the verb in standard grammar. The same placement is natural in Brazilian speech.

With an infinitive, several options may occur across registers and regions. Vou te ligar is common in Brazil; ligar-te belongs to a more formal or literary pattern and is not the default conversational choice for many speakers.

Remember: For conversation, recognize and practice common Brazilian chunks such as me disseram and vou te ligar. In formal writing, follow the style guide required for that context.

Check your understanding

Choose the English meaning of each Portuguese example. Answer before looking back at the tables. These questions check the written examples in this guide; they are not a listening or proficiency test.

Recall the Portuguese, then say it

Read the English prompt and say a Portuguese version before opening the answer. The answer shows the example from the lesson; other natural translations may also work. Compare the meaning and the situation rather than counting a different word as automatically wrong.

1. They let me know yesterday.

   Show a Portuguese answer

   Me avisaram ontem.

2. I’ll send you the address now.

   Show a Portuguese answer

   Te mando o endereço agora.

3. We’ll meet there.

   Show a Portuguese answer

   A gente se encontra lá.

4. They didn’t tell me the time.

   Show a Portuguese answer

   Não me falaram o horário.

5. Who taught you that expression?

   Show a Portuguese answer

   Quem te ensinou essa expressão?

6. I’ll call you when I arrive.

   Show a Portuguese answer

   Vou te ligar quando chegar.

Make the phrase useful to you

Choose one example you could actually use. Say it once from memory, then change one detail that fits your life, such as the person, place, time, or object. Check whether your change also needs a different verb form, article, or adjective ending. If it does, compare it with the pattern in the explanation.

For conversation, recognize and practice common Brazilian chunks such as me disseram and vou te ligar. In formal writing, follow the style guide required for that context.

Return to two prompts tomorrow without opening the answers first. If a phrase still feels difficult, shorten it to a useful chunk and build the complete sentence again.

Sources and your next lesson

This I Speak Portuguese practice guide builds on our Where Do Pronouns Go in Brazilian Portuguese? Me Disseram and Common Patterns lesson on Real Life Portuguese, with written recall tasks and additional speaking practice. The explanations and examples are teaching material; the practice questions are exercises, not a transcript of a recording.

To add Brazilian audio to your routine, choose a lesson in the Real Life Portuguese app. The app offers its own lessons and practice; this page does not imply that every example here has an app recording.