derrubou

Derrubou is the third-person singular form of the Portuguese verb derrubar in the pretérito perfeito do indicativo. Derrubar means to topple, knock down, or overthrow, and the verb can be used for physical actions (such as demolishing or knocking an object to the ground) as well as figurative actions (such as overthrowing a government or halting a plan).

Derrubar is a regular -ar verb. Its principal parts include: derrubar (infinitive), eu derrubo, você derruba, ele/ela derruba, nós derrubamos, vocês derrubam, eles derrubam; and in the pretérito perfeito: eu derrubei, tu derrubaste, ele derrubou, nós derrubamos, vós derrubastes, eles derrubaram. The form derrubou specifically denotes a completed action in the past performed by a third-person subject.

Derrubou appears frequently in news reporting, sports commentary, and narrative prose. Examples of usage include: “Ele derrubou o adversário” (he knocked down the opponent) or “O governo derrubou o ministro” (the government overthrew the minister). The term is common in both Brazilian Portuguese and European Portuguese, though in daily Brazilian usage the third-person past often aligns with “você derrubou” rather than the more formal “ele derrubou.”

Related derivatives include derrubada (the act of knocking down) and derrubador (the agent or tool that knocks down). The concept shares semantic space with words such as demolir (to demolish) and overthrowing expressions used in political or strategic contexts.