Breakdown of Eles tiveram um convívio no campus ontem.
eles
they (m)
ter
to have
um
a / an / some (all forms)
em
in / on / at
ontem
yesterday
o
him/it (m)
o campus
the campus
o convívio
the social gathering
Questions & Answers about Eles tiveram um convívio no campus ontem.
Why use tiveram instead of tinham for 'they had'?
The verb ter (to have) is a stative verb, meaning it usually describes an ongoing state of possession. For ongoing states in the past, we normally use the Imperfeito (tinham). However, putting a stative verb into the Pretérito Perfeito Simples (tiveram) shifts its meaning from an ongoing state to a specific, completed event. Because of the word ontem (yesterday), it shifts from a background state of possession to the completed action of holding or attending an event.
What exactly is a convívio?
A convívio is a social gathering, get-together, or mixer. It comes from the verb conviver (to socialize or spend time together). It is a very common word in Portugal for informal social events, especially among students, friends, or colleagues.
Why is it no campus and not just em campus?
In Portuguese, specific locations almost always require the definite article. No is the contraction of the preposition em (in/on) and the masculine singular article o (the). Even though campus is a borrowed word, it acts as a regular masculine noun in Portuguese and needs the article.
Could ontem go at the beginning of the sentence?
Yes, you can absolutely say Ontem eles tiveram um convívio no campus. Portuguese is quite flexible with time adverbs. Putting ontem at the beginning simply puts a little more emphasis on when the gathering happened.
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