Ligaram

Ligaram is a verb form in Portuguese, specifically the third-person plural pretérito perfeito simples of ligar. It denotes actions completed in the past by eles, elas, or vocês, and its meaning varies by context. In everyday use it can mean “they dialed” (they called someone by phone), “they connected” (they linked something), or “they turned on” (they activated a device or system). The sense is often inferred from the object that follows, such as a phone number or a device.

Grammar and conjugation notes: ligar is a regular -ar verb. In the pretérito perfeito, the third-person plural ending is -aram, yielding ligaram. The full pretérito perfeito conjugation is: eu liguei, tu ligaste, ele ligou, nós ligamos, vós ligastes, eles ligaram. The form ligaram is commonly used in spoken and written Portuguese for past actions by a plural subject.

Etymology and usage: ligaram derives from ligar, which comes from the Latin ligare, meaning to bind or to connect. In addition to its literal sense of linking, ligar has figurative uses such as to connect ideas or people, and it also covers the electrical sense of turning on devices or systems. Variants and related expressions appear across Brazilian and European Portuguese, with regional preferences influencing the frequency of telephony versus device-on meanings.

Example sentences: Eles ligaram para o suporte técnico ontem. Eles ligaram a televisão assim que chegaram em casa. Depending on the object, ligaram can indicate a phone call or the act of turning on a device.