possuí

Possuí is a Portuguese verb form derived from the verb possuir (to possess). It is the first-person singular form of the pretérito perfeito do indicativo, used to indicate that the speaker possessed something in the past as a completed action. The infinitive is possuir, and the related noun possessão or posse denotes possession or ownership. The past participle possessido is used in compound tenses.

Etymology: possu ir comes from Latin possidēre (to possess), passing through Romance languages into Portuguese. The form possuí reflects the regularization of stem vowels in the pretérito perfeito for this verb class.

Usage: The pretérito perfeito of possuir, including possuí, tends to appear in more formal, literary, or historical contexts. In everyday Brazilian Portuguese, speakers often prefer ter (to have) to express possession, especially in the present tense (eu tenho). Possuir is commonly reserved for situations of established or formal ownership, or in legal, technical, or narrative writing. The imperfect form, possuía, is frequently used to describe past possession over a period of time.

Examples:

- Eu possuí uma casa antiga no centro da cidade por mais de uma década.

- Ela possuía uma valiosa coleção de moedas antes de vendê-las.

See also: possuir, posse, posse de propriedade, possessão, possuído.