Ter vs. Haver in Brazilian Portuguese: How to Say “There Is”
Brazilian speakers often use tem in everyday existential sentences, while há is common in formal writing and time expressions.
Real Life Portuguese · 6 min read · Updated October 14, 2026
The short answer
In everyday Brazilian Portuguese, speakers commonly use tem to say that something exists or is available. In this impersonal meaning, tem does not change to match a plural noun in standard usage: “Tem uma farmácia aqui” and “Tem duas farmácias aqui.”
Recognize tem in everyday Brazilian speech
This conversational pattern can surprise English speakers because ter usually translates as “to have.” Learn the entire phrase and situation together; do not assume that each Portuguese word maps to only one English meaning.
Tem um banco perto daqui?
Is there a bank near here?
Tem duas mesas livres.
There are two free tables.
Não tem café em casa.
There is no coffee at home.
Use há for existence in more formal writing
Haver can express existence with the meaning “there is” or “there are.” In this use it is impersonal and stays singular: “Há um problema” and “Há três problemas.” You will often see há in formal writing, notices, reports, and careful explanations.
Há also appears in time expressions to say how long ago something happened: “Cheguei há dois dias” means “I arrived two days ago.” The spelling has an accent in this present-tense form; a appears without it in several other uses, so keep the complete expression in your notes.
Há uma solução simples.
There is a simple solution.
Há muitas pessoas na fila.
There are many people in the line.
Moro no Brasil há três anos.
I have lived in Brazil for three years.
Choose the expression for your situation
If you are speaking casually and pointing out what is available, tem is a very useful Brazilian pattern. If you are writing in a more formal register, há may fit better. Existe/existem is another option when you want to emphasize that something exists; it agrees with the noun in the usual way.
These options are not interchangeable in every sentence. The tone, construction, and meaning matter. Learn a few examples from the kind of conversation or writing you want to handle, then compare how a Brazilian speaker uses them in context.
Tem ônibus para o centro?
Is there a bus to downtown? (everyday question)
Há opções para todos os níveis.
There are options for every level. (formal notice)
Existem várias maneiras de dizer isso.
There are several ways to say that.
Put it into practice
Practice one spoken question with tem, one written sentence with há, and one example with existe. Real Life Portuguese helps you hear everyday speech; I Speak Portuguese teachers can explain register choices in your own sentences.
Quick practice
Which Portuguese example matches “Is there a bank near here”?
Choose an answer to check yourself.
Keep practicing with the Real Life Portuguese app
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