ouvi

ouvi is the first-person singular preterite of the Portuguese verb ouvir, meaning "I heard." It is used to report a completed act of hearing in the past and appears in both direct statements and reported speech.

Origin and cognates: The form derives from Latin audire, via Old Portuguese ouvir. The root ouv- appears in related words such as ouvido (ear) and audição (hearing). In Spanish, the cognate verb is oír.

Conjugation: In the indicative preterite, common Brazilian forms are eu ouvi, você ouviu, nós ouvimos, eles ouviram. European Portuguese includes tu ouviste and vós ouvistes. The imperfect and other tenses of ouvir are irregular.

Usage examples: Eu ouvi a notícia ontem. Ouvi dizer que o espetáculo foi adiado. The phrase "eu ouvi" is often followed by a direct object, while "eu ouvi dizer" introduces hearsay and is widely used in informal speech.

See also: ouvir, ouvido, audição.