Portuguese Phrase
Eu fiz isso facilitando uma discussão aberta.
Meaning
The sentence means ‘I did that by facilitating an open discussion.’ It uses the past tense to state a completed action and the gerund to explain the method used. The structure highlights personal agency (eu) and the collaborative nature of the solution (discussão aberta).
When to use
Use this phrase when you want to explain how you achieved a result, especially in work, academic or community settings where open dialogue was the key to success.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Eufizissofacilitandoumadiscussãoaberta
Pronome pessoal (Eu)
Subject pronoun 'eu' is often optional in Portuguese because the verb ending indicates the subject, but it can be used for emphasis.
Verbo no pretérito perfeito (fiz)
‘Fiz’ is the first‑person singular of ‘fazer’ in the simple past, used for completed actions.
Pronome demonstrativo (isso)
‘Isso’ refers to something previously mentioned; it works like ‘that’ in English.
Gerúndio (facilitando)
The gerund form expresses the manner or means by which an action was performed, similar to ‘by …ing’.
Artigo indefinido + substantivo (uma discussão)
‘Uma’ agrees in gender and number with the feminine noun ‘discussão’.
Adjetivo concordante (aberta)
Adjectives must match the gender and number of the noun they modify; here ‘aberta’ matches ‘discussão’.
🗨In Conversation
Como você resolveu o problema da equipe?
How did you solve the team's problem?
Eu fiz isso facilitando uma discussão aberta.
I did that by facilitating an open discussion.
✕Common Mistakes
Eu fiz isso facilitado uma discussão aberta.
‘Facilitado’ is the past participle; the gerund ‘facilitando’ is needed to express ‘by facilitating’.
Eu fiz isso facilitando uma discussão aberto.
The adjective must agree with the feminine noun ‘discussão’; use ‘aberta’, not ‘aberto’.
Isso eu fiz facilitando uma discussão aberta.
While word order can be flexible, placing ‘isso’ before the verb can sound unnatural in this construction.
↔Alternatives
Consegui isso ao promover uma conversa aberta.
I achieved that by promoting an open conversation.
Resolvi o assunto facilitando um debate aberto.
I solved the issue by facilitating an open debate.
Fiz isso através de uma discussão livre.
I did that through a free discussion.
Cultural Tip
In many Brazilian workplaces and academic groups, open discussion (discussão aberta) is seen as a democratic way to reach consensus. Using the gerund ‘facilitando’ signals a collaborative, process‑oriented attitude, which is often praised in professional contexts. In more formal settings you might replace ‘aberta’ with ‘transparente’ for a slightly more formal tone.