Ter is a very irregularNo definition set for irregularLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. verb in Brazilian Portuguese, which means that we have to learn its conjugations by heart. If you want a quick refresher on the conjugations of the verb ter, just take a look at our chart!
Brazilian Portuguese Articles
How to use the verb ‘ter’ in Brazilian Portuguese?
By: Fabiana Dametto Oliveira Thu Dec 12 2024
In Brazilian Portuguese, the verbNo definition set for verbLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. ter is typically translated as “to have.”
Eu tenho uma casa na praia.
I have a beach house.
However, this is a very common and versatile verb that can be used in many different ways with different meanings. Ter can also be used to express the possession of a certain age or need, and it can even function as an auxiliary verb in compound tenses. Ter also appears in a variety of common expressions, such as ter cuidado(to be careful) or ter razão(to be right).
If you are curious to know both the common and peculiar uses of ter in Brazilian Portuguese, keep on reading!
Table of Contents
What are the uses of ‘ter’ in Brazilian Portuguese?
Much like the English verb “have,” ter is not only used to indicate literal possession of a thing, but it can also refer to more abstract possession of physical and psychological traits, though Brazilian Portuguese, we also use ter to indicate age, as well as certain feelings like desire. Ter also appears in expressions of time and idiomatic expressions, and it can be used as a modal, impersonal, or auxiliary verb. Let’s look at each case in detail below!
To express possession
Expressing possession is the most common use of ter.
Eu tenho um gato, mas nunca tive um cachorro.
I have a cat, but I have never had a dog.
Amanda tem uma bicicleta elétrica.
Amanda has an electric bike.
As with “to have” in English, we can also use ter to indicate that you carry or bring something with you.
Eu sempre tenho um guarda-chuva na bolsa.
I always have an umbrella in my bag.
Paulo, você tem uma caneta para me emprestar?
Paulo, do you have a pen I can borrow?
Important
For physical and psychological traits
The verb ter is also used to describe a person or animal’s physical and psychological traits.
Paula tem olhos castanhos e o cabelo loiro.
Paula has brown eyes and blonde hair.
Paula tem paciência com seus filhos e Helena tem muita criatividade para costurar.
Paula has patience with her children and Helena has great creativity for sewing.
Important: Ser or ter?
The verb ser(to be) in Brazilian Portuguese also is used to ascribe physical attributes to the subject, as in:
ser
Paula é alta.
Paula is tall.
However, much like in English, ser(to be) comes before adjectives while ter(to have) is used before nouns, particularly to describe body parts. See the comparison below.
seradjective
Paula é alta.
Paula is tall.
ternoun
Paula tem olhos castanhos.
Paula has patience.
The same rule applies to personality-related adjectives. Before an adjective, we use ser(to be), but before a noun, we use ter(to have).
- seradjective
Paula é paciente.
Paula is patient.
ternounPaula tem paciência.
Paula has patience.
- seradjective
Helena é criativa.
Helena is creative.
ternounHelena tem criatividade.
Helena has creativity.
If you’d like to learn more about the various uses of the verb ser, along with the other “to be” verb estar, don't miss our post about ser and estar in Brazilian Portuguese!
For emotions and experiences
In addition to describing psychological traits, ter can also be used to talk about one’s emotions or to talk about certain experiences:
Diana tem medo de viajar sozinha.
Diana is afraid to travel alone.
Eu tive o prazer de já ter visitado Portugal.
I had the pleasure of having already visited Portugal.
Important: Ter or estar?
As you may know, it’s also common to use the verb estar(to be) + com(with) to talk about feelings in Brazilian Portuguese. So when do we use ter and when do we use estar com? Let’s compare:
estar comnoun
Diana está com medo de viajar sozinha.
Diana is afraid to travel alone.
ternoun
Diana tem medo de viajar sozinha.
Diana is afraid to travel alone.
Although there is no difference in the English translation, the difference in Brazilian Portuguese lies in whether you are talking about a permanent or temporary situation.
estar comnoun
Diana está com insônia essa semana.
Diana has insomnia this week.
→ temporary insomnia
ternoun
Diana tem insônia.
chronic insomnia
Take a look at our interesting chart with more expressions that can be used with ter or estar for more examples like these.
To express age
Ter is also used to talk about someone’s age in Brazilian Portuguese.
Speaker A:
Quantos anos você tem?
How old are you?
Speaker B:
Eu tenho 23 anos.
I am 23 years old.
Important
If you want to say how old you were at some point in the past, you will almost always use ter in the imperfect tense in Brazilian Portuguese.
Eu tinha 5 anos em 1990.
I was 5 years old in 1990.
For family and relationships
When referring to personal relationships, whether it’s with family or other social connections, we typically use the verb ter in Brazilian Portuguese.
Eu tenho uma família grande porque meu pai tem 7 irmãos.
I have a big family because my father has 7 brothers.
Camila tem muitos amigos italianos.
Camila has many Italian friends.
To describe an amount time
Ter is also used in Brazilian Portuguese to talk about circumstances related to time, such as someone’s availability, deadlines, or how much time has passed since an event.
Available time → Ter is used to say that we have or do not have free time to do something.
Marcos, preciso falar com você. Você tem 5 minutos?
Marcos, I need to talk to you. Do you have 5 minutes?
Deadlines → Ter can express a deadline or can be used to describe the amount of time left until an action or event will happen or finish.
O jogo ainda tem 20 minutos para terminar.
The game still has 20 minutes to go.
Os inscritos terão 30 dias para entregar o projeto.
Applicants will have 30 days to submit the project.
How much time has passed → In everyday language, we often use ter to express how long ago something happened.
Tem dois anos que não vamos à casa da Patrícia.
We haven’t been to Patricia's house for two years.
lit. (It) has two years that we didn’t go to Patricia’s house.
Important
In the example above, we could also use the verb haver instead of ter, as in:
Há dois anos que não vamos à casa da Patrícia.
We haven't been to Patricia's house for two years.
However, in everyday informal language, Brazilians often use the verb ter when expressing lengths of time in Brazilian Portuguese.
With nouns for events or experiences
The verb ter can also be used before a noun representing an event that was held already or an activity that will take place at a moment in the future. Usually this is used to describe the time at which the event takes place. For example:
Eu tive uma reunião muito importante ontem.
I had a very important meeting yesterday.
Nós teremos muitos feriados esse ano.
We will have many bank holidays this year.
Nós teremos um workshop online na semana que vem.
We will have an online workshop next week.
Important
When referring to events in this way, the verb ter can be substituted by the verb fazer(to do/make) with a subtle change in meaning.
Nós faremos um workshop online na semana que vem.
We will do an online workshop next week.
The only difference between using ter or fazer in this context is that fazer implies attendance at the workshop, whereas ter simply confirms that the workshop will take place without ensuring if we will attend it or not.
For the characteristics of things
In addition to describing physical or psychological attributes that are inherent to a person, the verb ter can also describe inherent characteristics of things.
A banana tem um sabor doce.
Bananas have a sweet taste.
It is also common to use the verb ter to mean “to contain” or “to be composed of” something.
Este bolo tem raspas de limão e laranja.
This cake has lemon and orange zest.
Este iogurte não tem lactose.
This yogurt has no lactose.
Notice in the examples above that ter refers to the presence of ingredients and elements that constitute something. In other contexts, ter can also mean “to hold,” conveying a similar idea:
A biblioteca tem livros de várias áreas do conhecimento.
The library holds books from various areas of knowledge
In addition, we can use ter to refer to the characteristic of measurement:
A piscina do hotel tem 25 metros de extensão.
The hotel's swimming pool is 25 meters long.
Tip
Measurements in Brazil are generally expressed in units such as kilometers, meters, centimeters, millimeters, kilograms, grams, and so on.
As part of the modal expression ‘ter que’ (have to)
The verb ter is used as part of the Brazilian Portuguese the modal expression ter que(have to, mus). is commonly used to express obligation or even to give suggestions or indirect commands. Take a look at some examples:
- Obligation:
Eu tenho que terminar o relatório hoje.
I have to finish the report today.
- Suggestion:
Você tem que ver esse filme no cinema!
You have to see this movie at the cinema!
- Indirect command:
Eu disse que você tinha que sair mais cedo.
I said you had to leave early.
Notice in the examples above that ter que is always followed by an infinitive verb (ter que + infinitive verb).
Both ter que + infinitive and ter de + infinitive are commonly used as modals meaning “have to, must” in Brazilian Portuguese. Although ter que and ter de have the same meaning, ter que often appears in everyday language, while ter de is more common in formal written language, as in:
Eu disse que você tinha de sair mais cedo.
I said you had to leave early.
To find out more about the use of ter que and other modal verbs in Brazilian Portuguese, take a look at our post!
As an impersonal verb
In everyday language, the verb ter can also be used as an impersonal verbNo definition set for impersonal verbLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. meaning “there is / are.” In this context, ter and haver actually have the same meaning, though ter is less formal.
✅ Tem cinco pessoas na sala de espera.
✅ Há cinco pessoas na sala de espera.
There are five people in the waiting room.
Since an impersonal sentence does not have a subject, the impersonal verb ter is always in its third-personNo definition set for third-personLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. singularNo definition set for singularLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. form, regardless of the following words. This is a very important difference between the impersonal verb ter and the English expression “there is/are” (which can be singular or plural)
Tinha alguns erros no relatório.
There were some errors in the report.
→ Tinha is third-person singular, not plural!
Check out our post on impersonal constructions in Brazilian Portuguese to find out more on this topic!
As an auxiliary verb
The verb ter also functions as an auxiliary verbNo definition set for auxiliary verbLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. to form compound tensesNo definition set for compound tensesLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum., such as the use of the present perfect in the example below:
auxiliary verbmain verb
Eu tenho acordado muito cedo.
I have been waking up very early.
See other compound tenses used with the auxiliary verb ter below:
Compound tense using ter | Example |
|---|---|
Eu tenho acordado muito cedo. I have been waking up very early. | |
Nós já tínhamos conversado sobre isso antes. We had already talked about this before. | |
Em 2024, eu terei terminado o mestrado. In 2024, I will have finished the master's degree. | |
Eu teria falado com ela se estivesse ali. I would have talked to her if I'd been there. | |
Espero que vocês tenham gostado da festa. I hope you enjoyed the party. | |
Se você tivesse vindo à reunião, teríamos nos visto. If you had come to the meeting, we would have seen each other. | |
Quando eu tiver terminado o mestrado, terei mais tempo livre. When I have finished the master's degree, I'll have more free time. |
In certain common expressions
In addition to all the uses described above, ter is a verb that also appears in some common expressions presenting characteristics of things, situations, or people in Brazilian Portuguese. While in some ter can be literally translated into English as “to have”, in others cases the expressions are more idiomatic. For example:
Rita teve bom senso ao falar com os pais dos alunos sobre o problema.
Rita used common sense in talking to the students' parents about the problem.
Por favor, tenha cuidado com os objetos frágeis.
Please be careful with fragile objects.
Apesar dos desafios, a empresa teve sucesso no mercado global.
Despite the challenges, the company has succeeded in the global market.
Check out this chart of more Brazilian Portuguese expressions with ter for more examples!
In summary
Now let’s recap the main uses of ter in Brazilian Portuguese. You can use ter:
To express possession, including something that you carry or bring with you
For physical and psychological traits
To describe emotions and experiences
To express age
To talk about relationships
To express time
To describe characteristics of things
To express obligation, suggestions, and make indirect commands (modal verb ter que + infinitive)
To express existence (“there is/there are”) when used as an impersonal verb
As an auxiliary verb
With some common expressions in Brazilian Portuguese
Now, it is time to practice all of these uses of ter in Brazilian Portuguese!
