Day 6 – Verb Ter – to have
Read over the previous day’s lesson and listen to the audio
Answer to exercise in lesson 5
A Alice é alemã e trabalha numa escola no algarve. Ela é baixa e loira, tem olhos verdes e não usa óculos. Ela é muito simpática e gosta de gatos. Ela tem duas meninas.
Ter – to have
This verb is also a very important verb, it is used a lot.
We can use it to describe ourselves or somebody else:
Audio: listen and repeat (download)
(Eu) tenho olhos castanhos – I have brown eyes
Tu tens cabelo escuro – you have dark hair
Ele tem um nariz grande – he has a big nose
Ela tem pernas cumpridas – she has long legs
Nós temos cabelo cumprido – we have long hair
Eles têm cabelo curto – they have short hair
We use it with regard to possession:
Audio. Listen and repeat (download)
Eles têm um carro novo – they have a new car (car new)
(Nós) temos um cão grande – we have a big dog (dog big)
Você tem uma gato? – do you have a cat (formal)
Ela tem um irmão? – does she have a brother
Elas têm cavalos – they (f) have horses
(tu) tens troco? – do you have change?
We can use the verb TER to say what we feel too:
The literal translation is in brackets
Audio. Listen and repeat (download)
Tenho fome – I am hungry ( I have hunger)
Ela tem sede – she is thirsty ( she has thirst)
Temos frio! – we are cold! ( we have cold)
Ele tem calor? – is he hot? (he has hot – doesn’t mean hot like ‘sexy’)
Note: none of the adjectives, fome, sede, frio and calor will change gender when used like this. A woman will say; ‘Tenho frio’ just like a man would.
We can use it like we would in English too. To have to do something…
Only this time we place ‘de’ after the verb…
Audio. Listen and repeat (download)
Tenho de ir à farmácia – I have to go to the chemist (à = go to (f))
Eles têm de ir às finanças – they have to go to the IRS (às = go to (pl. f)
Temos de ir ao banco – we have to go to the bank (ao = go to (m)
Ela tem de ir aos correios – she has to go to the post office (aos = go to (pl. m)
When we are talking about age:
The literal translation is in brackets.
Audio: listen and repeat. (download)
Tenho vinte anos – I am 20 (I have 20 years)
Tu tens dezanove anos? – are you 19 ( you have 19 years)
Ela tem dez anos – she is 10 (she has 10 years)
Vocês têm treze anos? – are you both 13? ( yous have 13 years)
O Manuel tem quinze anos – Manuel is 15 years (Manuel has 15 years)
Compare: Statement or question?
Audio: Listen. (download)
Ela gosta de Portugal – she likes Portugal (statement)
Ela gosta de Portugal? – does she like Portugal (question)
Ele tem calor – he is hot
Ele tem calor? – is he hot?
O Jack é médico – Jack is a doctor
O Jack é médico? – Is Jack a doctor?
Negative ‘no and not’.
Audio: (download)
Não means ‘no’
– Quer café? – do you want a coffee?
– Não, obrigado – no, thank you
Many times, when we answer a question in Portuguese, we use the verb that was used in the question, especially in the affirmative.
– Quer café? – do you want coffee?
– Não quero, obrigado – I don’t want, thank you (neg.)
– Quero – I want. (aff.)
This isn’t rude, as long as you finish with ‘obrigada’ or ‘obrigado’
Não quero, obrigado.
Quero, obrigada.
Negative phrases are easy, as we saw earlier, we just place ‘não’ before the verb.
Não also means ‘not’.
Não gosto de café – I don’t like coffee (I no like coffee = I do not like coffee)
Não tens dinheiro – you don’t have (any) money
Ele não tem sete anos – he is not 7 years (old) (He no have seven years = he is not seven)
Não moro em Faro, moro em Lisboa – I do not live in Faro, I live in Lisbon
Verbs
These verbs have to be learned by heart, there is no way around it.
Quick verb learning method.
Audio: (download)
| TER – to have | SER – to be | |||
| eu tenho | I have | eu sou | I am | |
| tu tens | you have | tu és | you are | |
| ele tem | he has | ele é | he is | |
| nós temos | we have | nós somos | we are | |
| eles têm | they have | eles são | they are | |
Notice how the verb changes for we – ‘nós’ are with ‘mos’ at the end…
Copy the verbs TER and SER out in your notebooks. The above way is simpler to copy out and revise. By now you know that ele/ ela / and você and eles /elas and vocês, are all the same, so we can just keep it simple.
Go over the phrases you have learned with the verb SER and TER.
This is the end of Day 6 – on the 7th day you can rest!
You can go over the whole course again if you like, next week!
There are many useful phrases in this course. Go over them again and again. More importantly – try to use them! (if you can).
Don’t forget to take the quiz!
If you enjoyed Week Zero then I highly recommend the following Six Week Courses.
The Conversational Course will teach you how to get by in Portuguese. If you are looking for a more intense course then the Speak Like a Native might be the one for you
Portuguese in Six Weeks course
Good Course..Found it a bit too easy for my liking, but thats expected if this is beginner. I like how you also taught how the natives may actually say things “ta bem”..Great aspect you may not get in other courses ! Enjoyed this!
You are right this course it for beginners and this week would seem very easy to those that have not knowledge of the language. The course however does progress quickly.
What would you say your current stage is?
Thank you. I think that it is important as locals will speak at a faster pace than on many of the language apps for example.
Hoping to launch the full course at the beginning of the month. Stay tuned!
I like this course, it is easy for me, but it was a good revision for what I know.
Thank you for you
Mona
Glad you enjoyed it! Keep your eyes open for the other Six Weeks coming in January – this week was just a teaser. The next six weeks are more intense and focus on speaking and understanding the spoken word, and the usual, verbs, grammar etc.
Hi Amanda,
I could not find the last Quiz.
please advise.
Thanks
Mona
All feedback is great. I take it you found it in the end?
Hi,
In the answer at the start of this lesson, being the text we were to convert from lesson 5, you used the adverb ‘muito’ simpatica. I used ‘muita’, thinking in was the female version because we are talking about Alice. Can you explain why there is no male and female versions of this adverb or is it true for all adverbs?
Hi Roger!
you can find the answer to that question here: Muito or Muia?