Ter conjugation in Portuguese

28 de March de 2013

What’s up, folks? Ready for another Dica do Dia? Let’s learn the ter conjugation in Portuguese and how to use it. In addition, let’s practice it with an exercise!

Uses ofΒ the Portuguese verb Ter

We use the Portuguese verb ter (to have) to talk about things we possess (or not), about family, age, and to describe things, people, feelings or to make a statement.

Verb to have in Portuguese. Coisa que temos, coisas que nΓ£o temos, famΓ­lia, idade, descrever pessoas, falar de sensaΓ§Γ΅es, constatar um fato.

Let’s do an exercise. Using the Portuguese verb ter, tell me what you have in you bag, purse, backpack or pockets right now. In my bag I have a cellphone, a notebook, a bottle of water and my wallet. How about you?

Exercise with the verb ter in Portuguese. O que tem na minha bolsa?

Now that you know what the verb ter Β means. Let’s take a look at how this verb is conjugated in the simple present tense:

Conjugation of ter in the present

Verb to Have in Portuguese in the Present Tense. Eu tenho, vocΓͺ tem, ele tem, ela tem, nΓ³s temos, vocΓͺs tΓͺm, eles tΓͺm, elas tΓͺm.

Examples with the Portuguese verbΒ ter

Eu tenho muitos amigos.
I have many friends

VocΓͺ tem muitos irmΓ£os?
Do you have many siblings?

Ele tem 20Β anos.
He is 20 years old.

Now let’s see the conjugation of ter using pretΓ©rito perfeito:

Conjugation of the verb ter with pretΓ©rito perfeito

Verb Ter in Portuguese, To have in Portuguese in the Past Perfect. Eu tive, vocΓͺ teve, ele teve, ela teve, nΓ³s tivemos, vocΓͺs tiveram, eles tiveram, elas tiveram.

ExamplesΒ 

Ela teveΒ dois filhos.
She had two children.

NΓ³s tivemosΒ fome de manhΓ£.
We wereΒ hungry in the morning.

VocΓͺs tiveramΒ muito trabalho para hoje?
Have you hadΒ a lot of work today?

There is also the Portuguese verb ter in the pretΓ©rito imperfeito, let’s see this conjugation:

Conjugation of the verb ter in the pretΓ©rito imperfeito

Verb Ter in Portuguese. To have in Portuguese in the Imperfect Past. Eu tinha, vocΓͺ tinha, ele tinha, ela tinha, nΓ³s tΓ­nhamos, vocΓͺs tinham, eles, tinham, elas tinham.

Examples with the Portuguese verb ter

Eles tinhamΒ frio quando moravam na Inglaterra.
TheyΒ wereΒ cold when they lived in England.

VocΓͺ tinha muito amigos quando era crianΓ§a?
Did you have many friends when you were a child?

Eu tinhaΒ muitos problemas com matemΓ‘tica antigamente.
In the past, I hadΒ a lot of problems with math.

Let’s see also its conjugation using the future tense:

Conjugation of ter in the future

Verb Ter in Portuguese, To have in Portuguese in the Simple Future. Eu terei, vocΓͺ terΓ‘, ele terΓ‘, ela terΓ‘, nΓ³s teremos, vocΓͺs terΓ£o, eles terΓ£o, elas terΓ£o.

Examples

NΓ³s teremos muitas histΓ³rias para contar sobre nossas aulas de PortuguΓͺs!
We will have many stories to tell about our Portuguese classes!

Eu terei uma Γ³tima semana!
I will have a great week!

Quantos filhos vocΓͺ terΓ‘ com sua esposa?
How many kids will you have with your wife?

Complete conjugation of the verb ter in Portuguese

Since we are learning how to conjugate ter in Portuguese, let’s learn the complete conjugation. Pay extra attention to the verb endings because this verb is very irregular, and so all of these irregularities will have an asterisk next to them, while the regular ones will have their endings in bold. Let’s check it out!

Indicative

Present Past perfect Imperfect Past
Eu tenho* Eu tive* Eu tinha*
VocΓͺ tem* VocΓͺ teve* VocΓͺ tinha*
Ele/ ela tem* Ele/ ela teve* Ele/ ela tinha*
NΓ³s temos NΓ³s tivemos* NΓ³s tΓ­nhamos*
VocΓͺs tΓͺm* VocΓͺs tiveram* VocΓͺs tinham*
Eles/ elas tΓͺm* Eles/ elas tiveram* Eles/ elas tinham*

 

Past pluperfect simple Past pluperfect composed
Eu tivera* Eu tinha tido*
VocΓͺ tivera* VocΓͺ tinha tido*
Ele/ ela tivera* Ele/ ela tinha tido*
NΓ³s tivΓ©ramos* NΓ³s tΓ­nhamos tido*
VocΓͺs tiveram* VocΓͺs tinham tido*
Eles/ elas tiveram* Eles/ elas tinham tido*

 

SimpleΒ Future ImmediateΒ Future Future of the past
Eu terei Eu vou ter Eu teria
VocΓͺs terΓ‘ VocΓͺ vai ter VocΓͺ teria
Ele/ ela terΓ‘ Ele/ ela vai ter Ele/ ela teria
NΓ³s teremos NΓ³s vamos ter NΓ³s terΓ­amos
VocΓͺs terΓ£o VocΓͺs vΓ£o ter VocΓͺs teriam
Eles/ elas terΓ£o Eles/ elas vΓ£o ter Eles/ elas teriam

Imperative

Affirmative Negative
Tenha* vocΓͺ NΓ£o tenha* vocΓͺ
Tenha* ele/ ela NΓ£o tenha* ele/ ela
Tenhamos* nΓ³s NΓ£o tenhamos* nΓ³s
Tenham* vocΓͺs NΓ£o tenham* vocΓͺs
Tenham* eles/ elas NΓ£o tenham* eles/ elas

Subjunctive

Present Imperfect Past Future
Que eu tenha* Se eu tivesse* Quando eu tiver*
Que vocΓͺ tenha* Se vocΓͺ tivesse* Quando vocΓͺ tiver*
Que ele/ ela tenha* Se ele/ ela tivesse* Quando ele/ ela tiver*
Que nΓ³s tenhamos* Se nΓ³s tivΓ©ssemos* Quando nΓ³s tivermos*
Que vocΓͺs tenham* Se vocΓͺs tivessem* Quando vocΓͺs tiverem*
Que eles/ elas tenham* Se eles/ elas tivessem* Quando eles/ elas tiverem*

Other tenses

Personal infinitive Gerund Participle
Para ter eu Tendo Tido
Para ter vocΓͺ
Para ter ele/ ela
Para termos nΓ³s
Para terem vocΓͺs
Para terem eles/ elas

 

Exercises with the Portuguese verb ter

Complete the sentences with the correct tense of the Portuguese verb ter:

  1. Eu __________ 22 anos e gosto de jogar futebol.
  2. Quando minha mΓ£e era crianΓ§a, elaΒ __________ muitas bonecas.
  3. JoΓ£o nuncaΒ __________ catapora.
  4. A: VocΓͺ jÑ __________ um animal de estimaΓ§Γ£o?
    B: Sim! EuΒ __________ dois cachorros.
  5. ElesΒ __________ trΓͺs filho e nΓ³sΒ __________ um.
  6. Em duas semanas elaΒ __________ uma casa nova.
  7. Quando eu crescer,Β __________ o carro mais rΓ‘pido do mundo!
  8. NΓ³sΒ __________ muitas brigas quando Γ©ramos casado.
  9. O queΒ __________Β  na sua mochila?
  10. A: VocΓͺΒ __________ certeza que ela vem?
    B: Antes euΒ __________, mas agora nΓ£oΒ __________.

Did you think this was all? No, no, no.Β You know that the only way to learn Portuguese is by practicing, right? And if you ever want to study Portuguese in Brasil, don’t forget to talk to us! So, let’s practice one more time!

Follow the image to create sentences using the conjugation of the Portuguese verb ter. You can create whatever sentence you want, as long you conjugate it correctly.

To have in Portuguese exercise. Eu, vocΓͺ ele/ela, nΓ³s, vocΓͺs, eles/elas, ter, fome, gatos e cachorros, medo, roupa limpa, famΓ­lia, idade, apartamento, Iphone, tatuagem, amigos.

Check out some possibilities that we separated for you at the end of this Dica.

And you? What do you have? Make a list of things you have at home, at your office and other places that you would like to describe.

Hope you enjoyed our Dica about the Portuguese verb ter! Come study more on our Youtube channel.

See you in the next Dica!
Bye bye!

Ler esta Dica em PortuguΓͺsΒ  Β  Β  Β  Β  Β  Β Β Leer esta Dica en EspaΓ±ol
Click in the links below to see more related Dicas
Portuguese verbs in -ER
Verbs ending in -ER in the past in Portuguese
Verbs ter and haver replacing existir
Poder in Portuguese

Answer 1

  1. tenho
  2. tinha
  3. teve
  4. A: teve
    B: tive
  5. tΓͺm / temos
  6. terΓ‘
  7. terei
  8. tΓ­nhamos
  9. tem
  10. A: tem
    B: tinha / tenho

Answer 2

  1. Eu vou comer agora, porqueΒ tenho muita fome.
  2. Eu sei que vocΓͺ nΓ£oΒ tem cachorros, mas vocΓͺ jÑ teve gatos?
  3. Ele nΓ£o foi Γ  praia ontem, porqueΒ tem medo de mar.
  4. Ainda bem que temos roupa limpa para festa hoje, hehehe.
  5. VocΓͺs querem que euΒ tenha uma famΓ­lia grande.
  6. ElasΒ tΓͺm a sua idade, 29.
  7. ElaΒ teria um apartamento grande, seΒ tivesse dinheiro.
  8. Pedro sempre me diz que eu deviaΒ ter um Iphone.
  9. Quando JosΓ© tiver 20 anos, terΓ‘ 5 tatuagens.
  10. ElesΒ tΓͺm amigos ao redor do mundo todo.