estejam

Estejam is a form of the Portuguese verb estar. It is the present subjunctive, used in subordinate clauses that express doubt, possibility, desire, or hypothetical situations. Specifically, estejam is the third-person plural form, corresponding to eles/elas or vocês.

Conjugation patterns and form

In the present subjunctive, the full set is: eu esteja, tu estejas, ele esteja, nós estejamos, vós estejais, eles estejam. Estejam therefore represents the 3rd-person plural form. The subjunctive mood, including estejem, is irregular for estar and differs from the indicative forms such as estão.

Usage

Estejam appears after verbs or expressions that introduce doubt, wish, necessity, or contingency, often preceded by a que clause. Examples: Quero que eles estejam aqui; É possível que eles estejam atrasados; Embora eles estejam cansados, continuam trabalhando. It is common in formal writing and in many spoken varieties, especially in subordinate clauses that convey uncertainty or hypothetical conditions.

Notes

Estejam is part of the broader set of subjunctive forms in Portuguese. The mood contrasts with the indicative, which would use estão for a definite, factual statement. As with other subjunctive forms, estejem appears most prominently in dependent clauses introduced by que or after verbs of desire, emotion, or doubt.

See also

Portuguese grammar; Subjunctive mood; Estar.