apareciam

Apareciam is the third-person plural imperfect indicative form of the Portuguese verb aparecer. It translates as "they appeared" or "they used to appear" in English and is used to describe past actions that were ongoing or habitual. The form is regular for -er verbs in the imperfect: the stem aparec- combined with the endings -iam (eles/elas/vocês apareciam).

Etymology and grammar notes: aparecer derives from Latin appārēre, meaning to come into sight or become visible. In Portuguese, the imperfect tense expresses past continuity or repeated occurrence, making apareciam suitable for describing events or appearances that were not completed or were recurrent in the past. This form is common in both European and Brazilian Portuguese, though the vós form is largely archaic in contemporary usage.

Usage and nuances: apareciam is often used to establish background in narrative, to describe phenomena, people, or objects that appeared repeatedly, or to set a past scene. It can convey a sense of anticipation or surprise, depending on context. It may appear in literary writing, journalism, or everyday speech when referring to past appearances that were habitual or not definitively concluded.

Examples:

- Os vultos apareciam na névoa todas as noites.

- As imagens apareciam na tela quando a transmissão falhava.

See also: aparecer, aparecimento, aparecia, aparecerá.