exigir

Exigir is a Portuguese transitive verb that means to demand or to require something as a rule, condition, or obligation. It can express insistence that someone do something, or that a situation or standard be met. The verb is commonly used with a direct object, as in exigir respeito, exigir explicações, or exigir que alguém chegue pontualmente. It also appears with de to indicate what is being demanded from someone, and with que to introduce subordinate clauses.

Grammar and usage notes: Exigir requires a direct object or a complement specifying what is demanded. It can be followed by a noun phrase (exigir qualidade), by a de-phrase (exigir de alguém), or by a subordinate clause with the subjunctive when introducing a demand (exigir que alguém chegue cedo). The construction exigir que is stronger than pedir or exigir demais, and is often used in formal or official contexts, such as contracts, policies, or workplace rules.

Conjugation and forms: Exigir has irregular present indicative forms. Common forms include eu exijo, tu exiges, ele exige, nós exigimos, eles exigem. The past participle is exigido and the gerund is exigindo. The past tense forms (exigi, exigiste, exigiu, exigimos, exigiram) are used for completed demands in narrative contexts.

Etymology and related terms: Exigir derives from Latin exigere, exigo, exegi, exactum, from ex- “out” or “forth” and agere “to drive, to act,” conveying the sense of driving out a requirement or demand. Related words include exigência (demand or requirement), exigente (demanding), and reprimir a nuance of demanding exactness or compliance.