procuram

Procuram is the third person plural present indicative form of the Portuguese verb procurar. It corresponds to “they seek” or “they look for,” and in practice also serves as the standard second-person plural form “you (plural) seek” in many dialects. The verb is widely used in both Brazilian Portuguese and European Portuguese.

Etymology and forms: Procurar comes from the Latin protocūrāre (often traced to procūrāre), meaning to take care of, to look for, or to obtain. The infinitive is procurar. In present tense, the principal forms are eu procuro, tu procuras, ele/ela procura, nós procuramos, eles/elas procuram (with vocês as the standard form for 2nd person plural in contemporary usage).

Usage: Procuram takes a direct object, usually a person, object, or abstract target. Examples include: “Eles procuram um novo emprego” (They are looking for a new job), “As autoridades procuram evidências” (The authorities are seeking evidence), and “A empresa procura soluções para a crise” (The company seeks solutions for the crisis). The sense can be literal (searching physically) or figurative (searching for information, opportunities, or answers). It also appears in procurement contexts when referring to obtaining goods or services from suppliers.

Synonyms and notes: In many contexts, procuram can be replaced by buscam or procuram-se, though nuances differ; buscar is a closer synonym for some senses, while procurar emphasizes active searching or pursuing. The distinction between regional varieties is mainly stylistic rather than grammatical.