Indirect object pronouns and recipients

In brief

A recipient is the person who gets something or benefits from an action. In Brazilian Portuguese, short pronouns such as me and te can identify that person without repeating their name. In everyday speech, para plus a person is often the clearest way to name the recipient.

Form

me / te / nos + verb; verb + para ele/ela/você. More formal: lhe / lhes + verb for a third-person or politely addressed recipient.

Usage

• Put me, te or nos before the verb in ordinary Brazilian sentences: Ela me enviou o endereço.
• Use para ele, para ela or para você when naming a recipient; do not omit para in this pattern.
• Lhe and lhes are commoner in formal writing than in everyday Brazilian conversation.

Examples

• Eu te mandei o endereço pelo WhatsApp. — I sent you the address on WhatsApp.
• Você me empresta seu carregador? — Can you lend me your charger?
• A gente enviou o convite para ela. — We sent her the invitation.
• Eu lhe enviei os documentos ontem. — I sent you the documents yesterday.

Common mistake

❌ Eu mandei uma mensagem ela.

✅ Eu mandei uma mensagem para ela.

English can say ‘I sent her a message’ without a preposition. When you name the recipient after the verb in this Portuguese pattern, use para ela.

Remember

In everyday Brazilian Portuguese, para ela or para você often sounds more natural than lhe.