aconteceram

Aconteceram is a verb form in Portuguese, representing the pretérito perfeito do indicativo of the verb acontecer in the third person plural. It expresses that events or occurrences took place in the past and is used to narrate or report past happenings.

The verb acontecer means to happen or to take place. It is commonly used to indicate that something occurred, whether unexpectedly or as part of a sequence of events. The form aconteceram is reserved for plural subjects (they happened, or several things happened). Other forms of the same verb cover singular subjects and other tenses, such as aconteceu (he/she/you happened) and aconteci (I happened).

Usage notes: acontecer is widely used in Brazilian Portuguese and also understood in European Portuguese, where speakers may choose synonymous verbs like ocorrer in more formal writing. Aconteceram is most likely to appear in reporting, summaries, or narratives that refer to multiple past events.

Examples:

- Diversas mudanças aconteceram na última década.

- Diversos incidentes aconteceram durante a noite.

- Os acontecimentos ocorreram conforme o planejado, sem maiores problemas. (Note: this example uses ocorrer, another verb with a similar meaning, but illustrate a related usage.)

See also: acontecer, ocorrer, verbe usage in pretérito perfeito do indicativo, concordância verbal com sujeitos plurais.