Why Brazilians Say Tem: ‘There Is’ and ‘There Are’ in Portuguese — Practice

Recognize ter as ‘to have’

The verb ter means ‘to have.’ Its present forms include tenho (I have), tem (you/he/she has), temos (we have), and têm (they have). The circumflex in têm distinguishes the plural form in writing, even though tem and têm sound alike in Brazilian Portuguese.

When ter has an owner or person as its subject, translate it as ‘have’: ela tem dois irmãos means ‘she has two siblings.’ The object tells you what someone has.

Listen for the spoken ‘there is’ meaning

In informal Brazilian conversation, tem can also mean ‘there is’ or ‘there are’: tem café na cozinha (there’s coffee in the kitchen), tem duas farmácias aqui perto (there are two pharmacies nearby). The sentence is not describing what a person owns; it is pointing out existence, availability, or location.

For formal writing, há is the standard impersonal verb for existence: há duas opções. You will still hear tem in everyday speech. Recognizing both helps you understand real conversations and choose a register that suits your message.

Remember: Read the subject and context: ter can mean ‘have,’ while impersonal tem is very common for ‘there is/are’ in Brazilian speech. Use há for formal written existence statements.

Check your understanding

Choose the English meaning of each Portuguese example. Answer before looking back at the tables. These questions check the written examples in this guide; they are not a listening or proficiency test.

Recall the Portuguese, then say it

Read the English prompt and say a Portuguese version before opening the answer. The answer shows the example from the lesson; other natural translations may also work. Compare the meaning and the situation rather than counting a different word as automatically wrong.

1. I have a meeting at three.

   Show a Portuguese answer

   Tenho uma reunião às três.

2. Do you have a charger?

   Show a Portuguese answer

   Você tem um carregador?

3. They have two bicycles.

   Show a Portuguese answer

   Eles têm duas bicicletas.

4. Is there any water in the fridge?

   Show a Portuguese answer

   Tem água na geladeira?

5. There are a lot of people on the bus today.

   Show a Portuguese answer

   Tem muita gente no ônibus hoje.

6. There are several cafés on this street.

   Show a Portuguese answer

   Há vários cafés nessa rua.

Make the phrase useful to you

Choose one example you could actually use. Say it once from memory, then change one detail that fits your life, such as the person, place, time, or object. Check whether your change also needs a different verb form, article, or adjective ending. If it does, compare it with the pattern in the explanation.

Read the subject and context: ter can mean ‘have,’ while impersonal tem is very common for ‘there is/are’ in Brazilian speech. Use há for formal written existence statements.

Return to two prompts tomorrow without opening the answers first. If a phrase still feels difficult, shorten it to a useful chunk and build the complete sentence again.

Sources and your next lesson

This I Speak Portuguese practice guide builds on our Why Brazilians Say Tem: ‘There Is’ and ‘There Are’ in Portuguese lesson on Real Life Portuguese, with written recall tasks and additional speaking practice. The explanations and examples are teaching material; the practice questions are exercises, not a transcript of a recording.

To add Brazilian audio to your routine, choose a lesson in the Real Life Portuguese app. The app offers its own lessons and practice; this page does not imply that every example here has an app recording.