ligou

Ligou is the third-person singular simple past tense form of the Portuguese verb ligar. The verb has several related senses, and ligou reflects the context: it can mean that someone connected or joined two objects, that a device was turned on, or that someone made a telephone call. In Brazilian Portuguese, ligar is commonly used to mean “to call” someone by phone (ligar para alguém). In this sense, ligou translates to “he called” or “she called.” The sense of turning on a device is also common, as in o rádio ligou (the radio turned on) or o carro ligou (the car started).

Etymology: ligar comes from Latin ligare, meaning “to bind” or “to tie,” and by extension to connect or join. Over time, the term expanded to cover connections, activations, and telephone calls.

Usage notes: The exact meaning of ligou depends on context, with typical cues such as para alguém indicating a phone call, or a reference to a device or machine being turned on. The word can be used across European and Brazilian Portuguese, though the broader sense of calling someone by phone is particularly prevalent in Brazilian usage.

Regional variation: In both Portugal and Brazil, ligou can be understood from the verb ligado/ligar, though nuances may vary. Brazilian slang also uses ligar in a broader sense to mean flirting with someone, as in ligar para alguém, with ligou in past tense following that construct.

See also: ligar, ligação, ligação telefônica, telefonar.