present of ter

The Verb "Ter" (To Have) in Brazilian Portuguese

The verb ter is highly versatile and essential in Brazilian Portuguese. Below are its present indicative forms and its most common uses.

1. Conjugation (Present Indicative)

Here is how the verb is conjugated in the present tense:

• Eu: tenho (I have)
• Você, Ele, Ela: tem (You, He, She has)
• Nós: temos (We have)
• Vocês, Eles, Elas: têm (You all, They have)

Note: The plural form "têm" uses a circumflex accent to distinguish it from the singular "tem" in writing.

2. How to Use the Verb "Ter"

A. Possession or Ownership

Fundamentally, "ter" is used to indicate possession or ownership, just like "to have" in English.

• Eu tenho um carro novo. (I have a new car.)

B. Expressing Age

Unlike English, where we use the verb "to be" to talk about age, Portuguese uses "ter". You literally say that someone "has" a certain number of years.

• Ela tem trinta anos. (She is thirty years old.)

C. Expressing Existence (There is / There are)

One of the most distinct features of spoken Brazilian Portuguese is the widespread use of "ter" to express existence. In everyday speech, it effectively replaces the verb haver to mean "there is" or "there are".

• Tem uma padaria na minha rua. (There is a bakery on my street.)

D. Necessity or Obligation

When paired with the word que (or sometimes de), "ter" indicates a necessity or an obligation, translating directly to "to have to" in English.

• Nós temos que acordar cedo hoje. (We have to wake up early today.)

E. Auxiliary Verb for Compound Tenses

Finally, "ter" serves as a vital auxiliary verb in compound tenses. It is used to denote recurring or continuous actions that started in the past and continue into the present (similar to the English present perfect continuous).

• Eles têm trabalhado muito ultimamente. (They have been working a lot lately.)