plantei

Plantei is the first-person singular preterite indicative form of the Portuguese verb plantar, meaning to plant. It is used to describe a completed action of placing seeds, plants, or crops into soil in the past.

Etymology and grammar: Plantar comes from the Latin word planta, related to sprout or shoot, and the verb follows the regular -ar conjugation pattern in the preterite. The form plantei is characteristic of the standard Portuguese conjugation for eu in the preterite. Regional variations exist in spelling and usage, especially between European Portuguese and Brazilian Portuguese.

Conjugation: Eu plantei; Tu plantaste; Ele/ela plantou; Nós plantámos (Portugal) / plantamos (Brazil); Vós plantastes (Portugal) / plantastes is rare in modern speech; Eles/elas plantaram. In everyday Brazilian Portuguese, common equivalents include eu plantei, você plantou, nós plantamos.

Usage: The term is used in contexts ranging from gardening and agriculture to metaphorical expressions. Metaphorically, it is common to say “plantar” an idea or a doubt, as in phrases that describe initiating or sowing something in someone’s mind.

Examples: Eu plantei sementes no canteiro ontem. Ela plantou cenouras no quintal. Eles plantaram a ideia de uma nova política durante a reunião.

See also: Plantar, Portuguese verb conjugation, Brazilian Portuguese variations.