olharam

Olharam is the third-person plural preterite (simple past) indicative form of the Portuguese verb olhar, meaning to look or to look at. It indicates a completed act of looking that occurred in the past, with the subject often understood from the surrounding context.

Grammatically, olhar is a regular -ar verb. The preterite for the third person plural is formed by removing the -ar ending and adding -aram, resulting in olharam. This form is used with subjects such as eles, elas, or vocês, depending on the variety of Portuguese being spoken.

Usage notes: in ordinary sentences, the typical way to express the target of the look is with the preposition para, as in olhar para algo ou alguém. For example: Eles olharam para o pôr do sol. In narrative contexts, olharam can stand alone when the object is understood from context, as in a sequence describing actions.

Related forms: mirar the infinitive has the same base olhar, with forms like olhar, olhando, olhado. The noun olhar exists in Portuguese as well and means a look or gaze, distinct from the verb form though related in meaning.

In summary, olharam is the standard past tense form used to describe that a group looked at something or in a direction in the past, and it is part of the regular conjugation pattern of the verb olhar in Portuguese.