deixámoslhe

Deixámoslhe is a Portuguese verb form built from deixar in the first-person plural (nós) in the pretérito perfeito (simple past) together with the clitic indirect-object pronoun lhe. The combination is used when the action of leaving is directed toward a recipient, with lhe referring to a singular third person or to the formal you (a ele, a ela, a você). The direct object—the thing left—appears as a separate element in the sentence, or is understood from context. The phrase typically translates as “we left it for him/her” or, depending on context, “we left him/her [something].”

Usage and variation: This construction is common in European Portuguese. In Brazilian Portuguese, speakers often express the idea using phrases like “deixamos para ele” or “deixamos para ela” rather than the attached clitic “lhe.” When referring to multiple recipients, the indirect object pronoun becomes lhes (e.g., deixámos-lhes as chaves = we left the keys for them).

Examples:

- Deixámos-lhe a carta. (We left him/her the letter.)

- Deixámos-lhe o livro na mesa. (We left the book on the table for him/her.)

- Eles deixaram as chaves, e nós deixámos-lhes para eles. (They left the keys, and we left them for them.)

Notes: The form deixámoslhe is the conventional written form in many contexts of European Portuguese; regional spellings may vary. The pronoun lhe covers a ele, a ela, or a você, and lhas/lhes are used for plural recipients.