Ter Present Tense Portuguese

Welcome to another Dica do dia! This time, let’s talk a little bit more about Ter Present Tense in Portuguese and show you some examples. Do you remember this verb?

Present tense of the Verb “To have” in Portuguese?

The verb “Ter” is super important because it has many different uses. First, let’s understand in which situations we can use this verb:

• Eu tenho 22 anos.
  I am 22 years old.
  • We can use the verb “Ter” to indicate our age.
• Ela tem dois irmãos.
  She has two brothers.
  • Here, the verb “Ter” serves to explain one’s family.
• Você tem um cachorro, mas não tem um gato.
  You have a dog but you don’t have a cat.
  • In this example, we describe the things someone has or doesn’t have
• Todos nós temos cabelos castanhos.
  We have brown hair.
  • We use the verb “Ter” here to talk about a physical characteristic of someone. But we can also use it to talk about feelings and personality traits.
• Eles têm muita força de vontade.
  They have a lot of willpower.
  • The verb “Ter” in the example above is used to express a personality trait.

It’s not difficult, right? The verb “Ter” is irregular, which means it doesn’t have a very clear rule regarding conjugation. That’s why we have to pay close attention when we use it. Now, see below how we conjugate this verb in the present tense:

IMPORTANT! Remember that we have to add the circumflex accent to  tem/têm in plural forms.

More examples?

• Eu tenho dois filhos.
  I have two kids.
• Você tem uma caneta?
  Do you have a pen?
• Ele não tem tempo.
  He doesn’t have time. 
• Nós temos muito trabalho.
  We have a lot of work.
• Vocês têm irmãos?
  Do you have brothers?
• Eles não têm animais domésticos.
  They don’t have pets.

Let’s practice…

What about you? Can you list the things you have in your house? Do you have a big room or a small one? Do your friends have any pets? Do your parents have a tattoo or piercing? Do you have friends from other countries?

Use complete sentences to answer all of the questions above using the verb “Ter” in Portuguese.

But don’t you forget!!

Do you want to practice more and more? Don’t forget to book your class with us! See you in our next A Dica do Dia here at Rio & Learn! And learn even more by following our Youtube channel!

Click on the links below to see more related Dicas
Past tense of ter in Portuguese
Ter conjugation in Portuguese
Portuguese Expressions With Ter