Questions & Answers about O teste correu bem.
Doesn't correu mean 'ran'? Why does the translation say 'went'?
Yes, the verb correr literally means 'to run'. However, in Portuguese, you use correr to describe how an event, day, or situation progressed. While in English you say 'the test went well', in Portuguese you say it 'ran well' (correu bem).
What verb tense is correu?
It is the simple past tense (Pretérito Perfeito) of correr. It is in the 'he/she/it' form because the subject of the sentence is o teste (the test). We use this tense because the test is a completed event in the past.
Why is it o teste and not a teste?
Nouns ending in '-e' in Portuguese can be either masculine or feminine; there is no strict rule like there is for words ending in '-o' or '-a'. Teste happens to be a masculine word, so it takes the masculine definite article, which is o.
Can I use the verb ir (to go) and say O teste foi bem instead?
No, that would sound unnatural to a native speaker. When evaluating how a specific situation turned out, Portuguese always uses correr rather than ir.
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