ajudavam

Ajudavam is the third-person plural imperfect indicative form of the Portuguese verb ajudar. It expresses a past action that was ongoing or habitual, and is commonly translated as "they were helping" or "they used to help." It is used with subjects such as eles, elas, or vocês.

Ajudar derives from Latin adiuvare, meaning to aid or assist. The form ajudavam follows the regular -ar verb conjugation in the imperfect tense.

In usage, ajudavam describes background actions in narratives, repeated assistance over a period, or ongoing support during past events. For example: "Eles ajudavam os vizinhos durante a enchente." It is distinct from the preterite form ajudaram, which denotes a completed action.

Ajudar is common in both Brazilian Portuguese and European Portuguese, and ajudavam is widely understood in both varieties.