Tem vs. Têm: When Does Portuguese Use the Circumflex?
Tem is singular; têm is plural. The circumflex marks the third-person plural form of ter.
Real Life Portuguese · 5 min read · Updated October 14, 2026
The short answer
Tem is the present form of ter for você, ele, or ela. It is written without an accent. Brazilian Portuguese also uses tem to mean ‘there is/are’ in everyday speech, even when the noun that follows is plural.
Write tem for a singular subject
When ter belongs to a specific plural subject such as eles, use têm with a circumflex. The subject—not the number of the object after ter—determines the spelling.
Ela tem uma pergunta.
She has a question.
Você tem tempo hoje?
Do you have time today?
Tem muitas opções no cardápio.
There are many options on the menu. (common Brazilian usage)
Write têm for a plural subject
Têm is the third-person plural form of ter for eles, elas, and vocês. The circumflex distinguishes the plural verb from singular tem. The pronunciation also signals the plural in careful speech, though the written accent is the visible reminder.
Compare ele tem with eles têm and você tem with vocês têm. Keep the same rule when the verb appears in a longer sentence.
Eles têm duas filhas.
They have two daughters.
Vocês têm alguma dúvida?
Do you all have any questions?
As lojas têm horários diferentes.
The stores have different hours.
Put it into practice
Use tem for a singular third-person subject and têm for a plural one. In the existential use ‘there is/are,’ Brazilian Portuguese commonly writes tem.
Quick practice
Which Portuguese example matches “Do you all have any questions”?
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