formaramse

Formaram-se is a Portuguese pronominal verb form derived from formar-se. The sequence formaramse (without the hyphen) is generally considered a misspelling in standard spelling; the correct written form is formaram-se, with a hyphen, which marks the reflexive pronoun attached to the verb. This form is the third-person plural pretérito perfeito do indicativo of the reflexive verb formar-se.

The verb formar-se has two principal senses. One is reflexive meaning to form oneself or to become formed, as in a process of development or organization. The other, more common in everyday use, is to graduate from an educational program, especially in Portugal and Brazil. Thus, eles formaram-se na universidade means they graduated from university.

In terms of usage, formaram-se appears in past-time constructions referring to a completed graduation or a completed process of forming. The corresponding present forms are eu me Formo, tu te formas, ele se forma, nós nos formamos, eles se formam. The imperfect, “eles se formavam,” is used for ongoing or habitual past actions. When describing a group coming into being, forms like “o grupo formou-se” or “o grupo se formou” are typical, with the sense of the group coming into existence or organization.

Notes on orthography and dialect: the hyphen in formaram-se is standard in formal writing; some informal texts may omit the hyphen, but formarm-se or formaramse without the hyphen is generally considered incorrect in modern Portuguese. See also formar, formatura, formar-se.