Encaminha

Encaminha is the third-person singular present indicative form of the Portuguese verb encaminhar, which means to forward, refer, or route a message, document, or matter to another person or place. It is widely used in administrative and digital contexts to indicate that a task should be sent along to the appropriate recipient or department. In many varieties of Portuguese, including Brazilian and European Portuguese, encaminha can also appear as the informal second-person singular imperative: Encaminha este e-mail para o setor jurídico, meaning “Forward this email to the legal department.”

Etymology and related forms: encaminhar comes from the prefix en- combined with caminho, meaning path or route. The sense evolved from guiding something along a path to directing its destination. Related words include encaminhamento (the act or process of forwarding) and encaminhado (forwarded, forwarded item).

Usage and nuances: The verb is common in offices, customer service, and IT workflows, where items are forwarded for review, approval, or action. It is used with objects such as mensagens, e-mails, documentos, pedidos, and reclamações. The imperative form (encaminha) is frequently employed in informal speech or concise instructions, while more formal or folder-level language might use encaminhe or encaminhem, depending on the subject and register.

Examples:

- Ela encaminha o pedido ao departamento responsável.

- Encaminha este e-mail para o diretor de operações.

- O relatório já foi encaminhado; aguardamos a aprovação.

See also: encaminhar, encaminhamento, encaminhado.