Forçaste

Forçaste is the second-person singular preterite form of the Portuguese verb forçar, meaning to force. It translates to "you forced" in English and is used to describe a completed action in the past by the person addressed as tu. The form is typical of European Portuguese, where tu is more commonly used in informal speech and writing. In Brazilian Portuguese, the corresponding past tense is usually expressed with você forçado, or other regional forms, making forçaste less common there.

Forçar is a transitive verb, requiring a direct object to complete its meaning (for example, forces someone or something to do something, or compels a physical action). The preterite second-person singular is formed by adding -aste to the stem forç-, yielding tu forçaste. As with other regular -ar verbs, the full preterite conjugation includes: eu forcei or forçei, tu forçaste, ele forçou, nós forçámos, vós forçastes, eles forçaram, with regional pronunciation and spelling variations.

The word’s etymology traces to Romance languages, with roots linked to a Latin concept of strength or coercion. The verb forçar and its forms, including forçaste, reflect historical use of force or compulsion in both physical and metaphorical senses within Portuguese.

Usage notes: Because many Brazilian speakers prefer tu forms less often, you are more likely to encounter forçaste in texts or speech aimed at Portugal or regions where European Portuguese usage persists. In any case, forçaste specifically marks a past, second-person singular action and is not used for formal address, which would employ você.