chegassem

Chegassem is a Portuguese verb form derived from chegar, meaning “to arrive.” It is the third-person plural form of the verb in the imperfect subjunctive (subjuntivo imperfeito). This mood and tense express hypothetical or non-real actions in the past, often in subordinate clauses introduced by if/when clauses such as “se” or “quando.”

Morphology and usage: the stem is cheg-, and the ending for this person is -assem, yielding chegassem. Other imperfect subjunctive forms of chegar include eu chegasse, tu chegasses, ele chegasse, nós chegássemos, and vós chegásseis. The imperfect subjunctive is commonly used in hypothetical or conditional contexts, especially when the main clause conveys a past or counterfactual meaning, or in formal/written language.

Examples:

- Se eles chegassem mais cedo, poderíamos começar a reunião sem atraso.

- Não acreditava que eles chegassem a tempo.

Notes:

- Chegassem does not function as a standalone past tense; it is a mood-tense combination used in dependent clauses.

- In everyday speech, speakers may favor other constructions for future conditions (for example, using the present subjunctive: se eles chegarem).

- Because it is a verb form rather than a noun or place name, chegassem typically appears within sentences rather than as an independent term.

Etymology and scope: chegassem comes from the verb chegar plus the standard imperfect-subjunctive endings in Portuguese. It is used across Portuguese-speaking regions, with formal or literary contexts more likely to retain the full subjunctive paradigm.