atribuíssemos

Atribuímos is a form in Portuguese; specifically, atribuímos is the first-person plural imperfect subjunctive of the verb atribuir. The form atribuíssemos is another spelling of the same mood and tense in many varieties, used in subordinate clauses to express hypothetical, uncertain, or contingent attribution in the past or in conditional contexts. It is commonly found in sentences introduced by se or caso, or in reported speech that requires the subjunctive.

Morphology and formation: atribuíssemos is built from the stem atribuí- (from atribuir) plus the imperfect subjunctive ending -ssemos, yielding atribuíssemos. The accent on í helps preserve the stem’s stress when the ending is added. This form denotes mood and tense rather than a simple past action, and it is used to discuss situations that did not happen or are contingent on another condition.

Usage: The form is typically employed in conditional or hypothetical clauses, such as “Se nós atribuíssemos a responsabilidade a alguém, poderíamos corrigir o erro.” It also appears in broader contexts of doubt, possibility, or wish in subordinate clauses. While less common in everyday speech than the indicative or present subjunctive, it remains standard in formal writing and in Brazilian and European Portuguese alike.

Comparison and relation: atribuíssemos is related to other imperfect subjunctive forms of atribuir, which may vary regionally (for example, alternative spellings or pronunciations in some dialects). The verb atribuir itself means to attribute or ascribe, and the imperfect subjunctive form is one of several tense-mood combinations used to express hypothetical or non-real action.

See also: atribuir, subjuntivo imperfeito, gramática portuguesa.