Lhe and Lhes in Portuguese: Indirect Object Pronouns
Lhe and lhes can mean to him, to her, or to them, but everyday Brazilian usage varies. Compare the pronouns with clearer para phrases.
Real Life Portuguese · 7 min read · Updated October 15, 2026
The short answer
An indirect object identifies who receives or is affected by an action. In a formal or carefully edited sentence, lhe can stand for a singular person introduced by a: enviei o documento a ela becomes enviei-lhe o documento (I sent her the document). Lhes is the plural form.
Use lhe when the person receives or benefits from an action
In Brazilian Portuguese, choices vary by region, relationship, and register. Many speakers prefer a clear para ele, para ela, or para vocês in conversation. You may see lhe in formal writing and institutional messages, so recognition is useful even if you do not use it often.
Enviei o endereço para ela.
I sent the address to her.
A professora lhe explicou a atividade.
The teacher explained the activity to him or her.
Eles lhes ofereceram ajuda.
They offered them help.
Choose clarity when the pronoun could be ambiguous
Lhe does not show whether the person is masculine or feminine, so context must supply the reference. Para ele and para ela make the person explicit. Para vocês is often a natural way to address more than one listener in Brazilian conversation.
Do not confuse an indirect object with a direct object. In Dei o livro a Ana (I gave Ana the book), o livro is the thing given and a Ana is the recipient. Rewrite the recipient as para ela if that makes the sentence easier to understand.
Pode entregar este formulário para ele?
Could you give this form to him?
A equipe lhes enviou as instruções.
The team sent them the instructions.
Vou explicar a regra para vocês.
I’ll explain the rule to you all.
Put it into practice
Recognize lhe and lhes as indirect object pronouns. In Brazilian conversation, para ele, para ela, and para vocês can make the recipient clearer; usage depends on region and register.
Quick practice
Which Portuguese example matches “The teacher explained the activity to him or her”?
Choose an answer to check yourself.
Keep practicing with the Real Life Portuguese app
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