apontássemos

Apontássemos is the first-person plural imperfect subjunctive form of the Portuguese verb apontar, meaning to point out or to indicate. It is used in subordinate clauses to express hypothetical, uncertain, or past-referenced actions, often in contexts of doubt, condition, or desire, and frequently follows a main clause that requires the subjunctive. The form is standard in both European and Brazilian Portuguese and appears in literary, formal, and some journalistic styles.

Morphology and formation: apontássemos is derived from the infinitive apontar plus the regular imperfect subjunctive ending for -ar verbs, which for nós is -ássemos. The accent on the syllable tás indicates the preserved stress pattern of the root, yielding a pronunciation with emphasis on the stressed syllable in the suffix. It contrasts with other imperfect subjunctive forms of apontar, such as eu apontasse or nós apontássemos versus vós apontásseis.

Usage notes: This form is used in clauses introduced by se (if) or in reported speech and expressions of doubt, possibility, or wish in the past. For example: Se apontássemos os erros, teríamos evitado o problema. Queria que nós apontássemos as falhas antes da reunião. In contemporary speech, speakers may substitute the present subjunctive or other tenses in some contexts, but apontássemos remains the correct and characteristic form in formal writing and in literature.

Related forms: apontar provides other subjunctive forms like apontasse, and other persons in the imperfect subjunctive (tu apontasses, ele apontasse, nós apontássemos, vós apontásseis, eles apontassem). The form is part of the broader pattern of -ar verbs in the imperfect subjunctive mood.