apontam

Apontam is the third-person plural present indicative form of the Portuguese verb apontar. The infinitive apontar has several related senses, including to point physically, to indicate or point out information, to direct attention to something, and to mark or earmark something. The form apontam is used with they (eles/elas) or with vocês in Brazilian Portuguese, as in eles apontam or vocês apontam.

In use, apontam typically takes a direct object or a prepositional phrase. Examples include: Eles apontam os erros no relatório (They point out the errors in the report); As evidências apontam para uma conclusão (The evidence points to a conclusion); Eles apontam para a direção norte (They point toward the northern direction). The verb also appears in idiomatic expressions such as apontar o dedo (to point the finger) and apontar o caminho (to point the way).

The term is common in everyday language, journalism, and academic writing to indicate identification of facts, directions, or causal relationships. In translation, apontam is often rendered as "they point out," "they indicate," or "they point toward," depending on context. Related nouns include apontamento (note, annotation, or correction) and the noun apontador (sometimes a device or person who points or indicates). Synonyms in Portuguese include indicar, sinalizar, salientar, and evidenciar, each with nuances according to context.

Overall, apontam functions as a straightforward present-tense marker for the action of pointing out or indicating carried out by a plural subject, reflective of the broader and versatile use of apontar in Portuguese.