In this lesson, we cover the important Portuguese verbs “haver” and “ter.” We have encountered the verbs “haver” and “ter” as auxiliaries in the present perfect tense, e.g., “Eu tenho/hei comido” (I have been eating), and we will encounter it again in the future perfect tense, e.g., “Eu terei/haverei comido” (I will have eaten), and in other tenses.
Here, we discuss some special uses of the verbs “haver” and “ter” other than the auxiliary use.
The Verb “Haver”
The verb “haver” is conjugated in the present tense as follows:
| eu | hei |
| ele/ela/você | há |
| nós | havemos |
| eles/elas/vocês | hão |
Special uses of the verb “Haver”
1. Meaning “There is/are …”
One use of the verb “haver” is the expression “Há …,” which is translated as “There is/are …,” and is the same for singular and plural. The form “há” is in the present tense and does not take a personal pronoun as a subject. It can also be used in other tenses:
| Há … | There is/are … |
| Houve … | There was/were … |
| Haverá … | There will be … |
2. Meaning “ago” or “for”
One way to express the meaning of “ago” or “for” is by using the form “há” of the verb “haver,” for example:
| Ele chegou há duas horas. | He arrivedtwo hours ago. |
| Eu não o vejo há muito tempo. | I haven’t seen him for a long time. |
Notice that the second example above uses the present tense in Portugues, i.e., “vejo,” whereas the equivalent sentence in English uses the present perfect tense.
3. The Expression “Haver de …”
One way to express the obligation “have to …” is by using “haver de” followed by the infinitive, for example:
| Eu hei de fazer isso. | I have to do it. |
| Eles hão de pagar. | They have to pay. |
| Nós havemos de ir. | We have to go. |
The Verb “Ter”
We have also encountered the verb “tener” (to have) as an irregular verb in the present tense.
| eu | tenho |
| ele/ela/você | tem |
| nós | temos |
| eles/elas/vocês | têm |
In addition to the obvious use of “ter” to indicate possession, e.g., “Eu tenho dois gatos” (I have two cats), there are some less obvious uses of the verb “ter” in Portuguese.
Special uses of the verb “Ter”
1. Age
In English, we use the verb “to be” to describe age, as in “how old are you?” and “I am 30 years old.” In Portuguese, the verb “ter” is used instead. In Portuguese, we literally say, “I have 30 years old” rather than, “I am 30 years old.” Here are a few more examples:
| Quantos anos tem? | How old are you? |
| Tenho 40 anos de idade. | I am 40 years old. |
| Ela tem 20 anos. | She is 20 years old. |
2. Using “Ter” to describe a feeling, pain, illness, or desire.
Some expressions in Portuguese describe a feeling or desire using the verb “ter,” while their equivalent in English uses the verb “to be,” e.g., “Tenho medo” (I am afraid). The word “medo” means “fear.” Thus, we literally say, “I have fear.” Some other examples are:
| ter fome | to be hungry | ter sede | to be thirsty |
| ter frio | to be cold | ter sorte | to be lucky |
| ter sono | to be sleepy | ter cuidado | to be careful |
| ter ciúmes | to be jealous | ter êxito | to be successful |
| ter vontade de | to want or desire | ter vergonha | to be ashamed |
3. Ter que …
Similar to the expression “haver de,” another way to express the obligation “have to …” is by using “ter que” followed by the infinitive, for example:
| Eu tenho que fazer isso. | I have to do it. |
| Eles têm que pagar. | They have to pay. |
| Nós temos que ir. | We have to go. |
Other Expressions
There are many other idioms and expressions that use the verb “ter.” One common expression is “Tem sentido,” which means “It makes sense.” Some other expressions are:
| ter lugar | to take place | ter a palavra | to have the floor |
| ter a ver com | to have to do with | ter a culpa | to take the blame |
| ter uma cara feia | to look bad | ter muito o que fazer | to have a lot to do |
Next: Telling Time & Describing The Weather
Other lessons in Level III:
