fato

Fato is a noun in Portuguese with two principal meanings. It can denote an event or occurrence, as in “um fato aconteceu ontem.” It can also mean a fact or truth in a logical or evidentiary sense, as in “um fato provado,” or the adverbial phrase “de fato,” meaning “in fact” or “indeed.” In everyday language, the word often signals information regarded as real or established rather than hypothetical.

Etymology: The term comes from Latin factum, meaning “something done” or “a deed,” passing into Old Portuguese and later modern Portuguese. It shares a common root with related Romance words such as Italian fatto and French fait.

Usage and nuance: The sense of event emphasizes occurrences, while the sense of fact emphasizes verifiability. The word appears in fixed expressions including “fato histórico” (historical fact/event) and “fato consumado” (a fait accompli). In writing and journalism it is common to say “fatos e dados” to refer to facts and data.

Notes on usage: Although “fato” and “ato” can relate to actions, they occupy different syntactic niches: “fato” refers to an occurrence or established truth, while “ato” denotes an act or gesture. The phrase “de fato” reinforces the meaning “in fact.”