apegamos

Apegamos is the Portuguese verb form corresponding to “we cling” or “we become attached.” It is the first-person plural present indicative of the verb apeg ar (to cling, to attach). In standard usage, it is often used with the reflexive pronoun nos to express emotional attachment or adhesion to people, memories, traditions, or ideas. For example: Nós nos apegamos às lembranças da juventude.

Etymology: The verb apeg ar derives from pegar (to grab) with the prefix a-, forming a verb meaning to attach or to cling. The related noun apego denotes attachment or emotional bond.

Usage and notes: Apegamos can be used transitively to mean attaching something to something else (apegar algo a algo) or reflexively to express emotional attachment (nos apegamos a alguém, a valores, a tradições). In everyday speech it often conveys affection, loyalty, or dependence on people, places, or ideas. In European Portuguese, the past tense form is spelled apegámos (with an accent) to distinguish it from the present form; in many Brazilian texts the accent may be omitted in informal contexts, though the meaning is determined by context.

See also: apego, apegado, apegamento, pegar.