Why Brazilians Say Tem: ‘There Is’ and ‘There Are’ in Portuguese
Tem means ‘has’ in many sentences, and in everyday Brazilian speech it also commonly introduces something that exists or is available.
Real Life Portuguese · 5 min read · Updated October 14, 2026
The short answer
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.
Recognize ter as ‘to have’
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.
Tenho uma reunião às três.
I have a meeting at three.
Você tem um carregador?
Do you have a charger?
Eles têm duas bicicletas.
They have two bicycles.
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.
Tem água na geladeira?
Is there any water in the fridge?
Tem muita gente no ônibus hoje.
There are a lot of people on the bus today.
Há vários cafés nessa rua.
There are several cafés on this street.
Put it into practice
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.
Quick practice
Which Portuguese example matches “I have a meeting at three”?
Choose an answer to check yourself.
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