Quem lhe contou? How to Use “lhe” and How to Use “o”, “a”

I will show you in a simple way how to use the pronouns lhe, o, a, and their plural forms. I will also show you a few common mistakes with the use of lhe.

How to Use “lhe”

The pronoun “lhe” is used to replace an indirect object. In other words, it is used to replace the complement of a verb when this complement is preceded by a preposition (a, para). Check out these examples:

• Eu dei um presente para João = I gave a gift to João
• Eu lhe dei um presente = I gave him a gift (“lhe” replaces “para João”)

• Eu dei um presente para você = I gave a gift to you.
• Eu lhe dei um presente = I gave you a gift. (“lhe” replaces “para você”)

Who “lhe” refers to will be clear in the context of a conversation. It could refer to “you”, “he”, or “she”.

• Ana me disse para chegar cedo na reunião. Ela lhe disse a mesma coisa?
  = Ana told me to arrive early at the meeting. Did she tell you the same? (“lhe” replaces “a você”)

• José entregou o convite a Maria e Antônio = José handed the invitation to Maria and Antônio.
• José lhes entregou o convite = José handed them the invitation. (“lhe” replaces “a Maria e Antonio”)

How to Use “o”, “a”

The pronouns o and a are used to replace a direct object. In other words, they are used to replace the complement of a verb when this complement is not preceded by a preposition. Examples:

• Eu amo Maria = I love Maria.
• Eu a amo = I love her. (“a” replaces “Maria”)

• Ana abraçou José = Ana embraced José.
• Ana o abraçou = Ana embraced him. (“o” replaces “José”)

• Eu convidei Joana e Fabiana para a festa = I invited Joana and Fabiana to the party
• Eu as convidei para a festa = I invited them to the party (“as” replaces “Joana e Fabiana”)

• Eu vi Cristina e Francisco na praia = I saw Cristina and Francsico at the beach.
• Eu os vi na praia = I saw them at the beach. (“os” replaces “Cristina and Francisco”)

Where to Place the Pronouns

• Eu lhe disse para chegar cedo.
• Eu disse-lhe para chegar cedo.

There are several rules for the correct placement of the pronoun in a sentence.

In Brazil, we usually place the pronoun before the verb. This is especially true for spoken Portuguese. If you place the pronoun before the verb, you will always sound fine. However, if you intend to write academic or professional texts, I recommend that you learn the proper rules.

Do not use a hyphen when you place the pronoun before the verb.

Common Mistakes with the Use of “lhe”

If the complement of the verb does not take a preposition, you cannot replace it with “lhe”. The sentences below would be incorrect:

Incorrect: Eu lhe amo.
Correct:
Eu te amo. Eu amo você. = I love you.
Eu amo Maria. Eu a amo. = I love her.
Eu amo João. Eu o amo = I love him.
Eu amo Maria e João. Eu os amo = I love them.
Eu amo Ana e Maria. Eu as amo = I love them. (fem)

Incorrect: Eu lhe abraçei.
Correct:
Eu te abracei. Eu abracei você. = I hugged you.
Eu abracei Maria. Eu a abracei = I hugged her.
Eu abracei João. Eu o abracei = I hugged him.
Eu abracei Maria e João. Eu os abracei = I hugged them.
Eu abracei Ana e Maria. Eu as abracei = I hugged them. (fem)

Incorrect: Eu lhe vejo todos os dias na aula.
Correct:
Eu te vejo todos os dias na aula. Eu vejo você todos os dias na aula. = I see you every day in class.
Eu o vejo todos os dias na aula. = I see him every day in class.
Eu a vejo todos os dias na aula. = I see her every day in class.
Eu os vejo todos os dias na aula. = I see them every day in class.
Eu as vejo todos os dias na aula. = I see them every day in class. (fem.)

Incorrect: Eu lhe ajudei ontem.
Correct:
Eu te ajudei ontem. Eu ajudei você ontem. = I helped you yesterday.
Eu a ajudei ontem. = I helped her yesterday.
Eu o ajudei ontem. = I helped him yesterday.
Eu os ajudei ontem. = I helped them yesterday.
Eu as ajudei ontem. = I helped them yesterday. (fem)

Enjoy your new knowledge :)

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