Enfrentaram

Enfrentaram is the third person plural form of the Portuguese verb enfrentar in the pretérito perfeito do indicativo, corresponding to “they faced” or “they confronted” in English. It denotes a completed action in the past in which the subjects confronted a person, obstacle, challenge, danger, or situation.

Etymology and form: Enfrentar comes from a combination around frente (front) with a prefix that conveys facing or confronting. The form enfr entaram follows the regular pattern for -ar verbs in the pretérito perfeito: eu enfrentei, tu enfrentaste, ele enfrentou, nós enfrentamos, vós enfrentasteis (in some varieties), eles enfrentaram. The form enfrentaram is used when the subjects are plural and masculine or mixed gender, or when gender is unspecified.

Usage: Enfrentaram is widely used in both Brazilian Portuguese and European Portuguese to narrate past events in which groups faced difficulties, opponents, or adverse circumstances. It can be transitive, taking a direct object (enfrentar algo ou alguém), or used intransitively with a broader sense of dealing with a situation. It may also appear in reciprocal constructions as enfr entaram-se to indicate that the parties faced each other.

Examples:

- Eles enfrentaram a tempestade durante a travessia.

- As equipes enfrentaram-se na final da competição.

- Eles enfrentaram a decisão com cautela.

Notes: Enfrentaram is a past-tense form; other tenses of enfrentar include enfrento (presente), enfrentará (futuro), enfrentou (pretérito perfeito da terceira pessoa singular).