Ter
to have
Presente
Current actions, habits, and general truths.
| eu | tenho | Eu tenho o que preciso — o resto é desejo. — I have what I need — the rest is desire. |
| você/ele/ela | tem | Ela tem um jeito de entrar num lugar e torná-lo mais vivo. — She has a way of entering a place and making it more alive. |
| nós | temos | Nós temos mais do que sabemos valorizar. — We have more than we know how to value. |
| eles/elas | têm | Eles têm tudo que precisam para dar o próximo passo. — They have everything they need to take the next step. |
I have enough to be grateful — and sometimes I forget that. My friend has the rare ability to make the other person feel like the centre of the world. We have things in each other that none of us has alone. Having is not accumulating — it is recognising.
Pret. Perfeito
Completed past actions — what happened.
| eu | tive | Eu tive medo e fui mesmo assim — e foi a parte mais importante. — I had fear and went anyway — and that was the most important part. |
| você/ele/ela | teve | Ela teve a ideia na hora certa e no lugar certo. — She had the idea at the right time and in the right place. |
| nós | tivemos | Nós tivemos sorte — e a transformamos em trabalho. — We had luck — and turned it into work. |
| eles/elas | tiveram | Eles tiveram a chance e não deixaram escapar. — They had the chance and didn't let it go. |
The year was generous after a hard year. I had health, work, love — the trio. My friend had the courage I needed to see to have it too. We had together a project that we're still proud of today. Those who had less in possessions had more in lessons.
Pret. Imperfeito
Ongoing or habitual past — what used to happen or was happening.
| eu | tinha | Eu tinha mais paciência antes da pandemia — estou reconstruindo. — I used to have more patience before the pandemic — I'm rebuilding it. |
| você/ele/ela | tinha | Ela tinha um jardim que era o orgulho da rua. — She used to have a garden that was the pride of the street. |
| nós | tínhamos | Nós tínhamos menos e aproveitávamos mais — a ironia do tempo. — We used to have less and appreciated more — the irony of time. |
| eles/elas | tinham | Eles tinham o que importava — família, saúde, propósito. — They used to have what mattered — family, health, purpose. |
When we were children, I used to have the certainty that adults knew everything. I also used to have the certainty that summer lasted forever. My mum used to have a patience I now recognise as supernatural. We used to have fewer worries and more presence — perhaps that is just the order of things.
Futuro Informal
Plans and intentions — "going to." The most common future form in spoken BR Portuguese.
| eu | vou ter | Vou ter uma conversa difícil essa semana. — I'm going to have a difficult conversation this week. |
| você/ele/ela | vai ter | Ela vai ter uma surpresa quando abrir a porta. — She's going to have a surprise when she opens the door. |
| nós | vamos ter | Vamos ter que tomar uma decisão sem toda a informação. — We're going to have to make a decision without all the information. |
| eles/elas | vão ter | Eles vão ter muito trabalho nos próximos meses. — They're going to have a lot of work in the coming months. |
The week is heavy. I'm going to have to choose between the urgent and the important. My partner is going to have a conversation with the board on Thursday. We're going to have the results before the end of the month. Those who are going to have more responsibility need more support — and we'll give it.
Futuro Formal
Formal future — "shall/will." More common in writing than speech.
| eu | terei | Terei mais clareza quando estiver mais descansada. — I will have more clarity when I'm more rested. |
| você/ele/ela | terá | Ela terá tudo que precisa para realizar o projeto. — She will have everything she needs to carry out the project. |
| nós | teremos | Teremos uma resposta até o final da semana. — We will have an answer by the end of the week. |
| eles/elas | terão | Eles terão acesso ao relatório após a publicação oficial. — They will have access to the report after the official publication. |
The announcement was definitive: The company will have a new structure from the first quarter. We will have more autonomy in each team. The directors will have revised individual targets. I will have a meeting with each leader before the transition.
Condicional
Hypotheticals and polite requests — "would."
| eu | teria | Eu teria dito sim mais cedo se soubesse o que sei hoje. — I would have said yes earlier if I had known what I know today. |
| você/ele/ela | teria | Ela teria mais tempo se delegasse mais. — She would have more time if she delegated more. |
| nós | teríamos | Teríamos chegado mais longe com mais apoio no início. — We would have gone further with more support at the beginning. |
| eles/elas | teriam | Eles teriam mais sucesso com uma estratégia mais clara. — They would have more success with a clearer strategy. |
If time were more elastic, I would have more long conversations with no time to end. My friend would have more health if he had less stress. We would have a better society if everyone had access to equal opportunities. People would have more peace if they had less fear of the future.
Ter across the tenses
A short story using ter in multiple tenses
Minha avó tinha pouco e era a mais rica de todos. Tinha tempo para qualquer um que chegasse, comida para quem ficasse, palavra para quem precisasse. Nós tínhamos nela algo que dinheiro não compra.
Hoje eu tenho coisas que ela nunca teve — e às vezes sinto que tenho menos. Ontem tive um dia difícil e pensei nela: ela teria feito café e me ouvido sem pressa. Tivemos sorte de tê-la — e ela sempre soube.
No próximo natal, vou ter a família junta pela primeira vez em anos. Se tudo correr bem, teremos a mesa dela de volta — metaforicamente.
Perguntei a ela o que mais teria se pudesse ter uma coisa a mais. Ela olhou em volta: Teria exatamente isso — só que com mais tempo para durar.
My grandmother used to have little and was the richest of all. She used to have time for anyone who arrived, food for whoever stayed, a word for whoever needed one. We used to have in her something that money can't buy. Today I have things she never had — and sometimes feel I have less. Yesterday I had a difficult day and thought of her: she would have made coffee and listened without hurry. We were lucky to have her — and she always knew it. Next Christmas, I'm going to have the family together for the first time in years. If all goes well, we will have her table back — metaphorically. I asked her what she would most have if she could have one more thing. She looked around: I would have exactly this — just with more time to last.
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