Descrever

Descrever is Portuguese for the verb that means to describe, to give an account of the characteristics, features, or events of something or someone. It is used transitively, typically taking a direct object that is described, such as a person, a place, a object, or a situation. The act of describing can be factual, interpretative, or artistic, depending on context and intention.

Etymology and scope: Descrever derives from Latin describere, from de- (down, thoroughly) and scribere (to write). Through Latin into the romance languages, the sense of writing down details to depict them evolved into the modern Portuguese meaning of describing or portraying.

Conjugation and forms: Descrever is an -er verb and follows patterns common to regular -er verbs, with some stem changes in certain tenses. Present indicative forms include eu descrevo, tu descreves, ele descreve, nós descrevemos, vós descreveis, eles descrevem. The stem often appears as descrev- in the preterite and some subjunctive forms (eu descrevi, ele descreveu; que eu descrevesse, que tu descrevesses). The participle is descrito and the gerund is descrevendo.

Usage notes: The verb is widely used across genres, from scientific reporting to literary writing. It commonly accompanies nouns such as paisagem, personagem, evento, situação, or pessoa, and may be complemented by adverbs or phrases that specify manner, extent, or degree (por exemplo, de forma concisa, em detalhes, de maneira vívida).

Related forms: The noun corresponding to the action is descrição; adjectives like descritivo and descriptivo describe related aspects, while descriptive language often relies on nuances of tone and precision.