Portuguese Grammar Reference ("QuickGrammar")
Portuguese Online
return to main menu

>>Portuguese Pronouns > Prepositional Pronouns

It is important that you first understand how to use subject pronouns in Portuguese.

You will use prepositional pronouns when you wish to make any one of these pronouns the object of a preposition. Prepositions are short relational words like in, on, to, at, from, of, with or under.

These are sometimes called strong pronouns because they emphasize the noun as an object. They are centered around prepositions, while most pronouns are centered around verbs.

Prepositional Pronouns

The only differences between the subject pronouns and prepositional pronouns are found in the first and second-person singular (mim and ti). Refer to the section on subject pronouns to learn how to use the various words for you in Portuguese. Their usage does not change here.

Remember that these pronouns are used only after prepositions. The direct object pronouns also translate as me, him, her, us, and them, and are used with verbs. They function in a phrase like for me or about you. Para mi means for me, where I am the object of the preposition para for. Para o senhor! means for you, sir!.

The pronoun si is very popular, especially in the spoken language, when its meaning is clear from context. It can stand in for ele, ela and even o senhor, a senhora, and você in the singular, as well as all of their plural counterparts (eles, elas, etc.). If the context so indicates, para si may mean for you. It never represents the informal tu (used in Portugal) or the archaic vós.

The preposition com with is unique because it combines with many of these prepositional pronouns to form a single word. In other words, when saying with me, you cannot say com mi.

Prepositional Pronouns with com ("with")

Consigo follows the same rules as its counterpart si.