sabendo

Sabendo is the gerund form of the Portuguese verb saber, meaning “to know” or “to know how to.” It is formed from the infinitive saber with the suffix -ndo. As a non-finite verb form, sab und o is used to express ongoing action, a circumstance, or the relation between clauses, and it can link sentences in time, cause, or condition. The word descends from Latin sapere through the history of the Portuguese language.

Usage and nuance: In Brazilian Portuguese, estar sabendo is a common progressive construction that can indicate the process of learning or becoming aware of information, as in “Ele está sabendo disso” (He is finding out about this). In many contexts, however, saber is not used in the progressive across formal writing, where saber in the finite form (sabe, sabei, saberá) is preferred. Sabendo is frequently found in adverbial clauses to express a circumstance, for example: “Sabendo que o prazo era curto, ela acelerou” (Knowing that the deadline was short, she accelerated). It can also appear in sentences like “Sabendo disso, ele foi cuidadoso” (Knowing this, he was careful).

Related use and limits: Sabendo is closely tied to saber and is distinct from conhecer (to know a person or place). The gerund in Portuguese is typically used with verbs like estar, ficar, or andar to form continuous meaning or to connect ideas, though in formal styles it may be avoided in favor of other constructions. Overall, sab endo serves as a versatile link for knowledge-related clauses and temporal or causal relations.