tendem

Tendem is the third-person plural present indicative form of the Portuguese verb tender, meaning to tend, incline, or be prone to. It is used to indicate that multiple subjects have a propensity toward a certain action or state. The construction tendem a + infinitive is common, as in eles tendem a chegar atrasados (they tend to arrive late) or eles tendem a acreditar nisso (they tend to believe this).

Etymology and related forms: Tender derives from Latin tendere, meaning to stretch, aim, or extend, and its forms appear across Romance languages with similar senses. In Portuguese, tendem broadly aligns with this root and parallels cognates in other languages, such as Spanish tienden.

Usage notes: Tendem is standard in both Brazilian and European Portuguese. It functions as a regular verb form and is typically used in contexts describing habitual tendencies, predictions, or general inclinations. For formal or varied style, speakers may also express the same idea with a phrase like têm a tendência de or a simple construction tendem a + infinitive.

See also: tendência, tender.