ter

Senses

1. 1.

   to have

   to possess or own something

2. 2.

   to have (experienced)

   to undergo or experience an event or state

3. 3.

   to have (auxiliary)

   auxiliary verb forming perfect tense

Examples

• "Eu tenho um carro novo."

  I have a new car.

• "Ela tem 25 anos."

  She is 25 years old (literally: has 25 years).

• "Eu tenho estudado muito para a prova."

  I have been studying a lot for the exam.

Usage

Ter is the most common Portuguese verb. It expresses possession, age (ter + number + anos), and forms the present perfect with the past participle. Highly irregular: tenho, tens, tem, temos, têm (present indicative).