Referiram

Referiram is a common verb form in Portuguese. It is the third-person plural pretérito perfeito do indicativo (simple past) of the verb referir, meaning to refer, to mention, or to refer someone to another person or authority. As a past-tense form, referiram is used in both Brazilian Portuguese and European Portuguese in narrative and formal writing to indicate that a referring action occurred in the past. The corresponding forms for other subjects are eu referi, tu referiste, ele referiu, nós referimos, vós referistes, eles referiram.

The infinitive referir derives from Latin referre, with the prefix re- and the verb ferre meaning to bring or to carry. In Portuguese, referir can take various senses, including referring something to someone, mentioning something within a discussion, or directing a matter to another body or group (for example, a case to a committee or a professional to another specialist).

Usage notes:

- Referiram is typically used for actions completed in the past by a plural subject, such as "Eles referiram o incidente ao supervisor."

- The verb can be used reflexively as referir-se a, with the past tense form referiram-se, meaning “they referred to” or “they referred themselves to” in contexts such as addressing a topic or issue.

See also:

- Referir, the base verb

- Portuguese grammar on pretérito perfeito do indicativo

- Reflexive verbs in Portuguese