Dedicaramse

Dedicaram-se is a form of the Portuguese verb dedicarse, a pronominal verb built from dedicar and the reflexive pronoun se. In standard orthography, the correct written form is dedicar-se, and the past tense example dedicaram-se corresponds to the third-person plural no passado simples (pretérito perfeito): “they dedicated themselves.” The meaning centers on a deliberate, ongoing commitment to a task, activity, or cause.

Etymology and usage notes. The verb dedicarse originates from Latin dedicare, meaning to consecrate or devote. In Portuguese, the reflexive se turns the verb into an action directed at the subject, so dedicarem-se emphasizes the subject’s own involvement. It is commonly followed by a preposition such as a, indicating the field of devotion: dedicaram-se à medicina, dedicaram-se aos estudos, dedicaram-se à caridade.

Grammar and forms. Dedicar-se is regular in its conjugation but remains a pronominal verb, which means the pronoun se is always attached to the infinitive form and agrees with the subject in person and number. For example: eu dedico-me, tu dedicas-te, ele dedica-se, nós dedicamo-nos, vós dedicáis-vos, eles dedicam-se. The past simple form dedicaram-se is used for actions completed in the past by multiple subjects.

Orthography and common errors. The correct form includes a hyphen: dedicaram-se. The version dedicaramse (without the hyphen) is generally considered nonstandard in formal writing, though it may appear in informal or nonstandard contexts, especially when typesetting removes diacritical marks or hyphens.

In sum, dedicaram-se denotes a completed, collective act of self-devotion to a chosen activity, typically expressed with a following prepositional object introduced by a or em.