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Indirect-object pronouns
Indirect-object pronouns (IOPs) work in the same way as their direct object
counterparts, but are used when expressing an action indirectly, to or
towards a person or thing. They answer the questions: To whom / what? or
For whom / what?, after a statement: I give the book. I give it to whom? To
her. In Portuguese, some of the IOPs are identical in form to the DOPs.
Uses
There are no spelling changes take place with IOPs and verbs.
In English, it is not always clear that an IOP is required, due to
omission of the word to: I gave him the book (I gave the book to
him).
Refer always to “test” questions:
I gave what? the book (it) = direct object
I gave (it) to whom? to him = indirect object
Many Brazilians tend to use lhe, lhes, and vos quite infrequently, often
opting instead to say things such as para ele, para vocês, etc., and thus
avoiding the IOPs altogether.
To avoid confusion in the third-person singular and plural (lhe/lhes), it
is possible to use ao senhor/à senhora in the polite forms.
Further clarity or emphasis can be added by using a ele/a eles / a nós,
etc.
Often, both DOPs and IOPs are simply omitted altogether, provided the
meaning of the sentence remains clear within the context.
Although it is possible to combine DOPs and IOPs (e.g., I gave it to
her), that is for more advanced study.
For more on the position of both DOPs and IOPs, see Chapter 45.
Watch out for verbs in Portuguese which require an IOP where they don’t
in English. Common examples are:
Examples
v M ~ ~
VOCABULÁRIO
docte o tornozelo
dos-the os olhos
doi -
me o
joelho
doem-thes as costas
do-the o ouvido
doi-te o
estrmago
doem-vos os dedos de pe
doi-nos a cabeca