Ter Conjugation in Portuguese
ter means “to have” in English, and it is one of the first verbs Portuguese learners meet — it sits at number 3 in VerbFlow’s frequency list for Portuguese verbs. It expresses possession, and it is also the verb Portuguese uses for age, hunger, thirst and many physical states, where English uses “to be”. It is the auxiliary verb for every compound tense in Portuguese, so learning its forms pays off in every perfect tense. Note the present: tenho, tens, tem, temos, tendes, têm — the ele form tem and the eles form têm differ only by the accent. This page gives you the complete conjugation of ter — every tense, every person, the gerund and the past participle — with notes, examples, common mistakes and a quiz. Here is the verb in a natural sentence: “Eu tenho um livro todos os dias.” — “I have a book.”
Quick facts
- Infinitive: ter
- English: to have
- Verb type: Irregular -er verb
- Irregular in: presente, pretérito perfeito, pretérito imperfeito, pretérito mais-que-perfeito simples, presente do subjuntivo, pretérito imperfeito do subjuntivo, futuro do subjuntivo, imperativo afirmativo, imperativo negativo
- Gerund: tendo
- Present participle: —
- Past participle: tido
- Auxiliary: ter (all perfect tenses are formed with ter + the past participle)
- Ending: -er verbs; pattern er in the verified tables
Pronunciation
Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for ter, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one. Learn the spelling of the forms first, and listen to a native speaker for the sounds rather than trusting an invented transcription. The forms below are the ones that matter: once you can read ter in every tense, you can recognise it in speech even before you can pronounce every form perfectly.
Three things to remember about ter
- It is irregular in 9 tense(s): presente, pretérito perfeito, pretérito imperfeito, pretérito mais-que-perfeito simples, presente do subjuntivo, pretérito imperfeito do subjuntivo, futuro do subjuntivo, imperativo afirmativo, imperativo negativo. Learn those forms as a set instead of guessing them from the infinitive, because the stem changes in ways no rule predicts.
- The perfect tenses use ter: the pretérito perfeito composto is formed with ter in the present plus the past participle tido. The tables on this page give the participle in the masculine singular form, exactly as it appears in the verified dump; agreement with the subject is a separate step that depends on the sentence, not on the verb table.
- The gerund is tendo and the past participle is tido: keep both in mind as you read the tables, because the gerund appears in progressive constructions and the past participle appears in every perfect tense. There is no present participle form listed for this verb in the verified tables. If you know those two forms and the present tense, you already know the skeleton of the whole conjugation.
Full conjugation tables
Every form below comes from VerbFlow’s verified conjugation tables for ter. Learn the present tense first, then the pretérito perfeito and the pretérito imperfeito, and add the remaining tenses one at a time.
Present indicative (presente)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | tenho |
| tu | tens |
| ele/ela | tem |
| nós | temos |
| vós | tendes |
| eles/elas | têm |
The present indicative (presente) is used for habits, facts and things happening now. For example: “Eu tenho um livro todos os dias.” — “I have a book”
Pretérito perfeito
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | tive |
| tu | tiveste |
| ele/ela | teve |
| nós | tivemos |
| vós | tivestes |
| eles/elas | tiveram |
The pretérito perfeito is used for completed actions in the past, especially one finished event. For example: “Eu tive um livro ontem.” — “I had a book”
Pretérito imperfeito
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | tinha |
| tu | tinhas |
| ele/ela | tinha |
| nós | tínhamos |
| vós | tínheis |
| eles/elas | tinham |
The pretérito imperfeito is used for ongoing or habitual actions in the past, and for background description. For example: “Eu tinha um livro antigamente.” — “I used to have a book”
Pretérito mais-que-perfeito simples
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | tivera |
| tu | tiveras |
| ele/ela | tivera |
| nós | tivéramos |
| vós | tivéreis |
| eles/elas | tiveram |
The pretérito mais-que-perfeito simples is used for an action completed before another past action; in everyday speech the compound form with tinha is more common. For example: “Eu tivera um livro antes do jantar.” — “I had had a book”
Futuro do presente
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | terei |
| tu | terás |
| ele/ela | terá |
| nós | teremos |
| vós | tereis |
| eles/elas | terão |
The futuro do presente is used for what will happen, for predictions and for promises. For example: “Eu terei um livro amanhã.” — “I will have a book”
Futuro do pretérito
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | teria |
| tu | terias |
| ele/ela | teria |
| nós | teríamos |
| vós | teríeis |
| eles/elas | teriam |
The futuro do pretérito is used for what would happen, for polite requests and for hypothetical situations. For example: “Eu teria um livro um dia.” — “I would have a book”
Pretérito perfeito composto
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | tenho tido |
| tu | tens tido |
| ele/ela | tem tido |
| nós | temos tido |
| vós | tendes tido |
| eles/elas | têm tido |
The pretérito perfeito composto is used for actions that started in the past and continue, or have been repeated, up to the present. For example: “Ele tem tido um livro esta semana.” — “He has had a book”
Pretérito mais-que-perfeito composto
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | tinha tido |
| tu | tinhas tido |
| ele/ela | tinha tido |
| nós | tínhamos tido |
| vós | tínheis tido |
| eles/elas | tinham tido |
The pretérito mais-que-perfeito composto is used for an action completed before another past action. For example: “Eu tinha tido um livro antes do jantar.” — “I had had a book”
Futuro do presente composto
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | terei tido |
| tu | terás tido |
| ele/ela | terá tido |
| nós | teremos tido |
| vós | tereis tido |
| eles/elas | terão tido |
The futuro do presente composto is used for what will have happened by a point in the future. For example: “Eu terei tido um livro até amanhã.” — “I will have had a book”
Futuro do pretérito composto
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | teria tido |
| tu | terias tido |
| ele/ela | teria tido |
| nós | teríamos tido |
| vós | teríeis tido |
| eles/elas | teriam tido |
The futuro do pretérito composto is used for what would have happened in a different past. For example: “Eu teria tido um livro ontem.” — “I would have had a book”
Presente do subjuntivo
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | tenha |
| tu | tenhas |
| ele/ela | tenha |
| nós | tenhamos |
| vós | tenhais |
| eles/elas | tenham |
The presente do subjuntivo is used for wishes, doubts, emotions and opinions after que. For example: “É importante que eu tenha um livro.” — “It is important that I have a book”
Pretérito imperfeito do subjuntivo
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | tivesse |
| tu | tivesses |
| ele/ela | tivesse |
| nós | tivéssemos |
| vós | tivésseis |
| eles/elas | tivessem |
The pretérito imperfeito do subjuntivo is used in the past for wishes and hypotheticals after que, and in se-clauses. For example: “Era importante que eu tivesse um livro.” — “It was important that I have a book”
Futuro do subjuntivo
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | tiver |
| tu | tiveres |
| ele/ela | tiver |
| nós | tivermos |
| vós | tiverdes |
| eles/elas | tiverem |
The futuro do subjuntivo is used after se and quando for a future possibility, where English would use the present. For example: “Se eu tiver um livro, é bom.” — “If I have a book, that is good”
Imperativo (affirmative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tu | tem |
| ele/ela | tenha |
| nós | tenhamos |
| vós | tende |
| eles/elas | tenham |
The affirmative imperative is used for direct commands and instructions. For example: “Tem um livro!” — “Have a book!”
Imperativo (negative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tu | não tenhas |
| ele/ela | não tenha |
| nós | não tenhamos |
| vós | não tenhais |
| eles/elas | não tenham |
The negative imperative is used for prohibitions and negative commands. For example: “Não tenhas um livro.” — “Do not have a book.”
Presente do subjuntivo composto
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | tenha tido |
| tu | tenhas tido |
| ele/ela | tenha tido |
| nós | tenhamos tido |
| vós | tenhais tido |
| eles/elas | tenham tido |
The presente do subjuntivo composto is used for a completed action in a subordinate clause expressing doubt, wish or emotion. For example: “É importante que eu tenha tido um livro.” — “It is important that I have had a book”
Pretérito imperfeito do subjuntivo composto
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | tivesse tido |
| tu | tivesses tido |
| ele/ela | tivesse tido |
| nós | tivéssemos tido |
| vós | tivésseis tido |
| eles/elas | tivessem tido |
The pretérito imperfeito do subjuntivo composto is used for a completed action in a past subordinate clause. For example: “Era importante que eu tivesse tido um livro.” — “It was important that I had had a book”
Futuro do subjuntivo composto
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | tiver tido |
| tu | tiveres tido |
| ele/ela | tiver tido |
| nós | tivermos tido |
| vós | tiverdes tido |
| eles/elas | tiverem tido |
The futuro do subjuntivo composto is used after se for a completed future possibility. For example: “Se eu tiver tido um livro, é bom.” — “If I have had a book, that is good”
Gerund
| Form | Portuguese |
|---|---|
| Gerund | tendo |
The gerund is used for an action happening at the same time as another action, often with estar for the progressive. For example: “Tendo um livro, aprendo muito.” — “While having a book, I learn a lot.”
Past participle
| Form | Portuguese |
|---|---|
| Past participle | tido |
The past participle is used with an auxiliary to form the perfect tenses, and as an adjective. For example: “Eu tenho tido um livro esta semana.” — “I have had a book.”
Example sentences
Ten natural sentences with ter, covering different tenses and persons. Say each one aloud, then cover the Portuguese and try to produce it from the English.
- “Eu tenho um livro todos os dias.” — “I have a book”
- “Tu tiveste um livro ontem.” — “You had a book”
- “Ele tinha um livro antigamente.” — “He used to have a book”
- “Eu terei um livro amanhã.” — “I will have a book”
- “Tu terias um livro um dia.” — “You would have a book”
- “Ele tem tido um livro esta semana.” — “He has had a book”
- “Eu tinha tido um livro antes do jantar.” — “I had had a book”
- “Tu terás tido um livro até amanhã.” — “You will have had a book”
- “É importante que eu tenha um livro.” — “It is important that I have a book”
- “Tem um livro!” — “Have a book!”
Common mistakes
1. Using the infinitive instead of a conjugated form
✗ Wrong: “Eu ter um livro.”
✓ Right: “Eu tenho um livro todos os dias.”
The infinitive ter never takes a subject. After eu you need the conjugated present form tenho.
2. Using the wrong person’s form
✗ Wrong: “Eu tens um livro.”
✓ Right: “Eu tenho um livro todos os dias.”
tens is the tu form, not the eu form. Match the verb to the subject every time: eu goes with tenho.
3. Using the present for a finished past action
✗ Wrong: “Eu tenho um livro ontem.”
✓ Right: “Eu tive um livro ontem.”
Ontem points to the past, so the present is wrong here. Use the pretérito perfeito tive for a finished action yesterday.
4. Using the wrong auxiliary in the pretérito perfeito composto
✗ Wrong: “Eu sou tido um livro.”
✓ Right: “Eu tenho tido um livro esta semana.”
The pretérito perfeito composto of ter is formed with ter plus the past participle tido: the eu form is tenho tido. Check the auxiliary in the table above before you build a perfect tense.
5. Using the indicative after a subjunctive trigger
✗ Wrong: “É importante que eu tenho um livro.”
✓ Right: “É importante que eu tenha um livro.”
After é importante que Portuguese needs the subjunctive, so use tenha here, not the indicative tenho.
6. Using the gerund instead of the past participle in a perfect tense
✗ Wrong: “Eu tenho tendo um livro.”
✓ Right: “Eu tenho tido um livro esta semana.”
The perfect tenses need the past participle tido, not the gerund tendo. The gerund belongs in progressive constructions, never after an auxiliary in a perfect tense.
Quiz: test yourself
Ten questions on ter. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.
What is the eu form of ter in the Present indicative (presente)?
- A) tens
- B) tenho
- C) tem
- D) temos
What is the ele/ela form of ter in the Pretérito perfeito?
- A) tive
- B) tiveste
- C) teve
- D) tivemos
What is the nós form of ter in the Pretérito imperfeito?
- A) tinha
- B) tinhas
- C) tínheis
- D) tínhamos
What is the tu form of ter in the Futuro do presente?
- A) terás
- B) terei
- C) terá
- D) teremos
What is the eu form of ter in the Futuro do pretérito?
- A) terias
- B) teria
- C) teríamos
- D) teríeis
What is the ele/ela form of ter in the Pretérito perfeito composto?
- A) tenho tido
- B) tens tido
- C) tem tido
- D) temos tido
What is the ele/ela form of ter in the Presente do subjuntivo?
- A) tenhas
- B) tenhamos
- C) tenhais
- D) tenha
What is the eu form of ter in the Pretérito imperfeito do subjuntivo?
- A) tivesse
- B) tivesses
- C) tivéssemos
- D) tivésseis
What is the gerund of ter?
- A) tido
- B) tendo
- C) ter
- D) tenho
What does ter mean in English?
- A) to be
- B) —
- C) to have
- D) —
Answer key
- B) tenho — the correct form is tenho. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- C) teve — the correct form is teve. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- D) tínhamos — the correct form is tínhamos. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- A) terás — the correct form is terás. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- B) teria — the correct form is teria. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- C) tem tido — the correct form is tem tido. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- D) tenha — the correct form is tenha. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- A) tivesse — the correct form is tivesse. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- B) tendo — the correct form is tendo. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- C) to have — the correct form is to have. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
Frequently asked questions
What does ter mean in English?
ter means “to have”. It is a core everyday verb, so its present-tense forms are worth learning first.
Is ter regular or irregular?
ter is irregular: it is irregular in presente, pretérito perfeito, pretérito imperfeito, pretérito mais-que-perfeito simples, presente do subjuntivo, pretérito imperfeito do subjuntivo, futuro do subjuntivo, imperativo afirmativo, imperativo negativo. The gerund is tendo and the past participle is tido.
What are the gerund and past participle of ter?
The gerund is tendo — use it with estar for the progressive. The past participle is tido — use it with ter for the perfect tenses, as in tenho tido.
Which auxiliary does ter take in the pretérito perfeito composto?
ter takes ter in the pretérito perfeito composto: the eu form is tenho tido. All seven compound tenses on this page are built with ter plus the past participle tido.
How do I say “I have” in Portuguese?
Say “Eu tenho um livro todos os dias.” — “I have a book” The eu form of the present is tenho, and it is the form you will use most often.
Related pages
- Full conjugation of ter — every tense of ter in one place.
- Ter in the pretérito perfeito tense — the full table and usage rules for one tense.
- Ter examples and quiz — more example sentences and practice questions for this verb.
- Portuguese pretérito perfeito tense guide — the full guide to the pretérito perfeito tense in Portuguese.
- Portuguese irregular verbs — every common irregular Portuguese verb, grouped by pattern.
- Ser conjugation — another everyday Portuguese verb.
- Haver conjugation — another everyday Portuguese verb.
- Portuguese verbs — the full hub of Portuguese conjugation pages.
- VerbFlow home — all languages, tools and verb lists.
- Verb Conjugator — practise ter with the interactive tool.
- Conjugation Chart Printer — practise ter with the interactive tool.
- Tense Finder — practise ter with the interactive tool.