encaminharse

Encaminhar-se is a Portuguese verb used in both transitive and pronominal forms. In its non-reflexive form, encaminhar means to forward, route, or direct something to a person or place. In its reflexive form, encaminhar-se typically conveys movement toward a destination or a commitment to a course of action. The pronominal usage is common in both everyday speech and formal language, where it often denotes heading toward a goal, initiating a plan, or setting out.

Etymology and meaning: the word derives from the verb encaminhar, which combines a prefix related to direction with the idea of walking along a path. As a result, encaminhar-se carries the sense of directing oneself along a path, toward a location, or toward a decision or objective.

Usage and construction: as a transitive verb, encaminhar is used with a direct object to indicate forwarding or referring something to another entity, for example, “Encaminhar o pedido ao setor competente.” As a reflexive verb, encaminhar-se expresses movement or progression toward a place or outcome, for example, “Encaminhar-se para a saída,” or “Encaminhar-se para uma decisão.” It can be followed by a destination with para or a destination marker with a preposition, and it may appear with other verbs in formal expressions.

Conjugation: encaminhar is a regular -ar verb. Indicative forms include eu encaminho, tu encaminhas, ele encaminha, nós encaminhamos, vós encaminhais, eles encaminham. The reflexive forms are eu encaminho-me, tu encaminhas-te, ele encaminha-se, nós encaminhamo-nos, vós encaminhais-vos, eles encaminham-se.

See also: encaminhamento, encaminhar, caminhar, caminho.