estavam

Estavam is the imperfect indicative form of the verb estar in Portuguese, used for third-person plural. It expresses past states, conditions, or ongoing situations, typically describing how things were rather than marking a completed action. The form corresponds to "they were" or "you (plural) were" in English, depending on the subject.

Uses of est um: It describes temporary states or locations in the past, such as emotions, health, or circumstances: "Eles estavam cansados" (They were tired) or "Eles estavam na escola" (They were at school). It is also used with the gerund to form past progressive actions: "Eles estavam estudando" (They were studying).

Distinctions with other tenses: In Portuguese, estar marks temporary states, while ser marks permanent or inherent characteristics. The imperfect tense (estavam) often sets background information in narratives, contrasting with preterite forms that denote completed events. For example, "Eles estavam lendo quando o telefone tocou" emphasizes the ongoing activity at a past moment.

Etymology and grammar: Estar derives from Latin stare (to stand) and is part of a pair with ser that governs different aspectual meanings. In all varieties of Portuguese, estãm remains an irregular verb form, with diversas conjugations across moods and tenses. The form estãm is used without explicit subject when the subject is clear from context, but it is typically accompanied by pronouns or nouns such as "eles" or "vocês" to indicate the subject.

Variants and usage notes: In Brazilian Portuguese, "vocês estavam" is common for you all were; in European Portuguese, similar usage exists, with regional preferences in pronoun selection. Estavam is widely recognized as the standard imperfect plural form and appears in formal writing, journalism, and literature to convey past, ongoing conditions.