contada

Contada is a term in Portuguese that functions primarily as the feminine past participle of the verb contar, meaning to tell or recount. As an adjective, contada describes something that has been told or narrated, aligning in gender with the noun it modifies (for example, uma história contada, uma versão contada).

Etymology and related forms

Contada derives from contar, which in turn comes from Latin roots associated with recounting or narrating. The corresponding masculine form is contado, and both forms are used in similar grammatical contexts to indicate a narrated or relayed content.

Usage and meanings

In contemporary Portuguese, contada is most commonly seen in phrases such as the history contada (the told story) or a narrativa contada (the narrated narrative). It is not typically used as a standalone noun; rather, it appears as part of a compound expression or along with a noun it describes. The term helps distinguish between something that is spoken, reported, or relayed versus something that is yet to be told.

Comparative notes

In related Romance languages, cognate forms exist with similar functions, often serving as the feminine past participle of a verb meaning to tell or recount. In Portuguese, the verb contar also covers counting, so context determines whether contada refers to a narrative that has been told or to a recounted fact.

See also

Conto, Contar, Narrativa, História (story)

Note: contada is generally used in contexts involving narration or recounting and is most often part of a larger noun phrase rather than a stand-alone noun.