Respeitam

Respeitam is the third-person plural present indicative form of the Portuguese verb respeitar. It translates roughly as “they respect” or, in Brazilian Portuguese, as “you (plural) respect” when the subject is a group addressed as vocês. The form is used with a direct object, as in respeitar alguém or respeitar as regras.

Etymology and sense: respeitar comes from the Latin respectus, through Romance-language derivations such as French respecter, and moved into Portuguese with the sense of regarding someone or something with due consideration. The verb covers respecting people, rules, spaces, and boundaries, among other targets of regard or consideration.

Grammar: respeitar is a transitive verb. Its present tense forms include respeito (eu), respeitas (tu), respeita (ele/ela/você), respeitamos (nós), respeitam (eles/elas/vocês). The form respeitam specifically marks the third-person plural subject, whether ele/elas or vocês in context.

Usage: in everyday and formal language, respeitar is used to express compliance with norms, laws, and social expectations, as well as to acknowledge others’ rights or dignity. Common collocations include respeitar as regras, respeitar a privacidade, respeitar as diferenças, and respeitar uns aos outros.

Examples: Os alunos respeitam as regras da escola. Eles respeitam as diferenças culturais. Respeitam uns aos outros, mesmo nas discordâncias. In negative contexts, the form changes to não respeitam.

See also: respeitar, respeito, etiqueta.