levei

Levei is the first-person singular preterite (simple past) form of the Portuguese verb levar, which means to carry, bring, or take. It denotes a completed action in the past, often used when narrating specific past events. For example: Eu levei o livro para casa ontem. Levar is a regular -ar verb, so its other principal forms follow standard patterns (levo, levas, leva, levamos, levam, etc.).

Etymology and sense: Levar derives from Latin or Vulgar Latin forms related to lifting or carrying, with the sense extending to transporting objects or taking someone somewhere. In addition to physical carrying, levar can be used in figurative senses, such as levar a sério (to take seriously), levar em conta (to take into account), or levar alguém pelo caminho (to lead someone along).

Usage notes: In contemporary Brazilian and European Portuguese, levei is common in everyday narration of past actions. The tense is often used with explicit time references, e.g., ontem, na última semana, ou no ano passado. Because Portuguese uses subject pronouns more flexibly, levei frequently appears with implied or explicit subject I. The related noun formato levar is the base form used to form other tenses and combinations, including compound past tenses with ter had leva.

See also: levar.

Overall, levei functions as a core past-tense form of a common verb, frequently encountered in both spoken and written Portuguese to indicate that someone carried, took, or brought something at a specific past time.