duvidar

Duvidar is a Portuguese verb meaning to doubt or to question the truth, reliability, or genuineness of something. It expresses skepticism or hesitation about a fact, claim, or person's statement or abilities, rather than full acceptance.

Origin and related forms: The verb comes from Latin dubitare, through Old Portuguese, and is closely related to the noun dúvida (doubt) and the adjective duvidoso (doubtful or uncertain). These cognates are commonly used in modern Portuguese to distinguish the act of doubting from the state of being doubtful.

Conjugation and grammar: Duvidar is a regular -ar verb. In the present indicative, the forms are: eu duvido, tu duvidas, ele/ela duvida, nós duvidamos, vós duvidais, eles/elas duvidam. It is typically used with the preposition de to indicate the content of the doubt, as in duvidar de algo (to doubt something). In clauses with que, it can appear as eu duvido que isso seja verdade (I doubt that this is true).

Usage notes: Duvidar can convey neutral skepticism or cautious disbelief depending on context and tone. The negative form não duvido is often used to express certainty rather than doubt. The noun dúvida refers to the doubt itself, while duvidoso describes something that provokes doubt or is uncertain.

Examples: Eu duvido disso. Ela duvida da veracidade das informações. Não devemos duvidar da experiência dele. The related terms duração variations include dúvida and duvidoso for broader semantic use.