Obtem

Obtem is the unaccented form of the Portuguese verb obter in the present tense. In standard contemporary Portuguese, the correct spelling for the third-person singular is obtém, with an acute accent on the e. The form obtem can appear when diacritical marks are omitted, such as in plain-text environments, programming identifiers, older texts, or signage. In formal writing, obtem is generally considered nonstandard.

Etymology and meaning: obter derives from Latin obtinere, meaning to hold, to acquire, or to obtain. In Portuguese, the verb means to gain possession of something, to achieve a result, or to secure. It is commonly used with direct objects, for example: "Ele obtém sucesso" (with the accent: "Ele obtém sucesso") or in the unaccented variant "Ele obtem sucesso."

Usage and forms: The verb is irregular in some parts of its conjugation. Standard present indicative forms include eu obtenho, tu obténs, ele obtém, nós obtemos, vós obtendes, eles obtêm. The unaccented variant obtem may surface in contexts where accents are not used, but it does not reflect the formal standard orthography. The verb also appears in compound tenses with auxiliary verbs, such as ter or haver, and in subjunctive and imperative forms following regular patterns for perceber-related verbs in the same conjugation class.

Orthography: The orthography of Portuguese requires accents on certain vowels to indicate syllable stress and distinguish meanings. Therefore, obtém is preferred in formal writing, while obtem is seen primarily as a nonstandard or typographically constrained form.

See also: Portuguese orthography, Portuguese verbs, obter.