Colocação pronominal na norma culta: ênclise, próclise e mesóclise
Colocação pronominal na norma culta: ênclise, próclise e mesóclise means “The three positions of the clitic pronoun in cultured written Portuguese and what forces each”. In the cultured written norm, the clitic pronoun takes three positions. Formation: Ênclise: Verbo-pronome (padrão, sobretudo em início de oração) | Próclise: palavra atrativa (não, que, quem, já...) + pronome + Verbo | Mesóclise: Verbo1-pronome-Verbo2 (só futuro do presente / futuro do pretérito)
The three positions of the clitic pronoun in cultured written Portuguese and what forces each
C1Formation
Ênclise: Verbo-pronome (padrão, sobretudo em início de oração) | Próclise: palavra atrativa (não, que, quem, já...) + pronome + Verbo | Mesóclise: Verbo1-pronome-Verbo2 (só futuro do presente / futuro do pretérito)
Explanation
In the cultured written norm, the clitic pronoun takes three positions. Enclisis (verb-pronoun: 'Chamo-me João' = My name is João, 'Diga-me' = Tell me) is the default, especially when the clause begins with the verb, since tradition forbids opening a sentence with the pronoun. Proclisis (pronoun before the verb) is REQUIRED when an 'attracting word' precedes the verb: negatives (não, nunca, nada: 'Não me diga'), subordinating conjunctions (que, quando, se, embora: 'Espero que se cuide'), relative and interrogative pronouns ('o livro que me deram', 'Quem lhe contou?'), and certain adverbs (já, sempre, também, talvez: 'Já me disseram'). Mesoclisis (pronoun inside the verb: 'dar-se-á' = it shall be given, 'far-lhe-ia' = I would do for you) occurs only in the two futures, when nothing attracts the pronoun — it is rare, legal and literary. In speech, Brazilians ignore all of this and use proclisis ('Me dá', 'Vou te falar'); mesoclisis is essentially extinct in the spoken language. Spanish speakers must adjust: Spanish is uniformly proclitic with finite verbs, so enclisis and mesoclisis feel alien.
Examples
Note
Rule of thumb: if an attracting word (não, nunca, que, quem, se, já, sempre, talvez...) comes before the verb, use proclisis; otherwise, enclisis. Mesoclisis ('dir-se-ia' = it would be said) fits only the future and the future-of-the-past and today sounds legal or literary — nobody uses it in speech. Never open a sentence with a clitic in formal writing: write 'Trata-se', not 'Se trata'. In spoken Brazilian, though, sentence-initial proclisis ('Me passa o sal' = Pass me the salt) is normal.
FAQ
Colocação pronominal na norma culta: ênclise, próclise e mesóclise — what does it mean and how is it used?
The three positions of the clitic pronoun in cultured written Portuguese and what forces each. In the cultured written norm, the clitic pronoun takes three positions. Enclisis (verb-pronoun: 'Chamo-me João' = My name is João, 'Diga-me' = Tell me) is the default, especially when the clause begins with the verb, since tradition forbids opening a sentence with the pronoun. Proclisis (pronoun before the verb) is REQUIRED when an 'attracting word' precedes the verb: negatives (não, nunca, nada: 'Não me diga'), subordinating conjunctions (que, quando, se, embora: 'Espero que se cuide'), relative and interrogative pronouns ('o livro que me deram', 'Quem lhe contou?'), and certain adverbs (já, sempre, também, talvez: 'Já me disseram'). Mesoclisis (pronoun inside the verb: 'dar-se-á' = it shall be given, 'far-lhe-ia' = I would do for you) occurs only in the two futures, when nothing attracts the pronoun — it is rare, legal and literary. In speech, Brazilians ignore all of this and use proclisis ('Me dá', 'Vou te falar'); mesoclisis is essentially extinct in the spoken language. Spanish speakers must adjust: Spanish is uniformly proclitic with finite verbs, so enclisis and mesoclisis feel alien.
Colocação pronominal na norma culta: ênclise, próclise e mesóclise — how do you form it?
Ênclise: Verbo-pronome (padrão, sobretudo em início de oração) | Próclise: palavra atrativa (não, que, quem, já...) + pronome + Verbo | Mesóclise: Verbo1-pronome-Verbo2 (só futuro do presente / futuro do pretérito)
Colocação pronominal na norma culta: ênclise, próclise e mesóclise — any usage notes?
Rule of thumb: if an attracting word (não, nunca, que, quem, se, já, sempre, talvez...) comes before the verb, use proclisis; otherwise, enclisis. Mesoclisis ('dir-se-ia' = it would be said) fits only the future and the future-of-the-past and today sounds legal or literary — nobody uses it in speech. Never open a sentence with a clitic in formal writing: write 'Trata-se', not 'Se trata'. In spoken Brazilian, though, sentence-initial proclisis ('Me passa o sal' = Pass me the salt) is normal.