contraí

Contraí is a verb form found in Spanish and Portuguese. It represents the first-person singular preterite (past) tense of the verbs contraer in Spanish and contrair in Portuguese. The meaning in both languages centers on the idea of having contracted something, most commonly a disease or infection, but it can also refer to contracting other things such as a debt, a contract, or a habit. The form highlights a completed action in the past.

In Spanish, contraer means to contract in the sense of diseases, infections, or conditions, as in the sentence: Ayer contraí una gripe. It can also be used for other contracted states or obligations, depending on context. In Portuguese, contrair shares the same general sense: to contract or draw together. An example is: Eu contraí uma gripe no inverno passado. Portuguese usage extends to contracting things like debts or obligations as well.

Etymology and cognates: both contraer (Spanish) and contrair (Portuguese) derive from Latin contrahere, meaning “to draw together” or “to pull in opposite directions.” The form contraí reflects the Romance-language past tense conjugation pattern, with the accent marking the stressed syllable.

See also: Contraer (Spanish), Contrair (Portuguese). The term is primarily encountered in grammar, linguistics, and descriptive writing when discussing past tense conjugations in these languages.