atuem

atuem is a verb form in Portuguese. It is the third-person plural present subjunctive of the verb atuar, which means to act, perform, or operate. The form is used in clauses that express desire, doubt, possibility, necessity, or obligation, and it appears frequently in formal, legal, or academic contexts.

Usage and examples

As a present subjunctive, atuem appears after expressions that trigger the subjunctive mood, such as want, concern, or necessity: “É essencial que eles atuem com responsabilidade.” “É necessário que vocês atuem de acordo com as leis vigentes.” It can also occur in indirect commands or recommendations: “Que eles atuem de forma transparente.”

Morphology and related forms

The base verb is atuar. Other present-subjunctive forms include: eu atue, tu atues, ele atue, nós atuemos, vós atuéis, eles atuem. These forms share the same subjunctive endings used with regular -ar verbs in Portuguese.

Notes

Acting as a subjunctive form, atuem signals non-asserted or hypothetical action rather than a straightforward statement. It is part of the broader mood system in Portuguese that distinguishes between certainty and uncertainty in subordinate clauses. While present-subjunctive usage is common in written Portuguese and formal speech, it appears less often in casual conversation, where gerunds or the indicative may be used instead.