Tropeçam

Tropeçam is the third-person plural present indicative form of the Portuguese verb tropeçar, meaning they stumble or they trip. It is used with subjects such as eles or elas (and, in Brazilian Portuguese, with vocês). The form illustrates a regular -ar verb conjugation in the present tense, following tropeçar’s standard pronunciation and orthography with the cedilla under the c (tropeçar) and nasalized final syllable in tropeçam.

Etymology and usage context:

The verb tropeçar originates in Old Portuguese and is cognate with other Romance-language terms for stumbling or tripping. Its exact historical derivation is not settled, but it has long been part of the core vocabulary for physical missteps as well as figurative obstacles.

Function and nuance:

Tropeçam can describe literal stumbling on a surface or obstacle, as in walking and tripping on stairs or uneven ground. It is also used figuratively to indicate setbacks, errors, or difficulties that impede progress, such as plans or arguments that “stumble” due to problems or misunderstandings.

Examples:

Eles tropeçam ao subir as escadas molhadas.

Seus planos tropeçam por causa da falta de recursos.

No sentido figurado, as negociações tropeçam quando surgem discrepâncias.

Related forms:

Infinitive: tropeçar; gerund: tropeçando; past: tropeçou (ele/ela), tropeçaram (eles/elas). The noun tropeço refers to a stumble or misstep, and tropeços is the plural.

See also:

Tropeçar, tropeço, tropeçam como uma forma comum de expressão na língua portuguesa para descrever falhas, obstáculos ou deslizes.