Elon.io is an online learning platform
We have an entire course teaching Portuguese grammar and vocabulary.
Questions & Answers about Eu moro neste apartamento há seis meses.
What does há mean in this sentence?
With a present-tense verb, há + length of time means “for (this long) up to now.” So Eu moro … há seis meses = “I have been living … for six months.” In other contexts, há can also mean “ago” (see below).
Can I replace há with faz or tem?
Yes. Very common in Brazil:
- Moro neste apartamento faz seis meses.
- Moro neste apartamento tem seis meses. (colloquial)
- Fronted versions: Faz/Tem seis meses que moro neste apartamento. Note: These are impersonal; keep them singular: Faz/Tem seis meses…, not “fazem.”
Is há seis meses que also possible?
Yes: Há seis meses que moro neste apartamento. Same meaning, slightly more formal/neutral than faz/tem versions.
Why not use the Portuguese present perfect, like tenho morado?
In Brazilian Portuguese, tenho + past participle usually means a repeated/recurring action (“I’ve lived [on and off/many times]”), not a continuous state. To say “I have been living (continuously) for six months,” use simple present (moro) or the progressive (estou morando).
What’s the nuance difference between moro and estou morando?
- Moro: neutral, stable fact about where you live.
- Estou morando: emphasizes a current/temporary arrangement or the ongoing nature of the situation. Both work here; choose based on nuance.
Do I need to say eu? Could I just say Moro neste apartamento há seis meses?
You can drop eu. Portuguese is pro‑drop, so Moro… is perfectly natural. Keep eu if you want emphasis or contrast (e.g., “I live here, not my brother”).
What exactly is neste?
It’s the contraction of the preposition + demonstrative: em + este = neste, meaning “in this.” So neste apartamento = “in this apartment.”
When do I use neste vs. nesse?
- neste (“in this”): something near the speaker or in the immediate context (e.g., the apartment you’re in).
- nesse (“in that”): near the listener or already mentioned. In everyday Brazilian usage, many people use nesse more broadly, but the traditional distinction above is good to learn.
Could I say no apartamento instead of neste apartamento?
Yes, but it’s less specific. No apartamento = “in the apartment” (already known/definite). Neste apartamento points to a specific “this apartment,” often the one you’re in or indicating.
Why is it neste (masculine) and not nesta?
Because apartamento is masculine.
- Masculine: neste apartamento
- Feminine: nesta casa
Can I move the time phrase around? For example, Eu moro há seis meses neste apartamento?
Yes. Natural options:
- Eu moro neste apartamento há seis meses. (most common)
- Eu moro há seis meses neste apartamento. Fronted (more marked/emphatic/formal):
- Há seis meses (que) eu moro neste apartamento.
Does há seis meses ever mean “six months ago”?
Yes—when the main verb refers to a past event:
- Eu me mudei para este apartamento há seis meses. = “I moved … six months ago.” With present moro, it means “for six months (now).”
What’s the difference between há seis meses, por seis meses, and desde?
- Ongoing duration up to now: Moro aqui há seis meses. (“for six months now”)
- Finished/limited duration: Morei aqui por seis meses. (“for six months,” but not anymore)
- Since a starting point: Moro aqui desde janeiro. (“since January”) Don’t say desde há in Brazilian Portuguese.
Is it okay to write a seis meses without the accent?
No. Há (with accent) is the verb “haver” used for time (“for/ago”). A (no accent) is a preposition used in expressions like daqui a seis meses (“in six months”). They’re not interchangeable.
Any pronunciation tips for tricky parts?
- há: “ah” (h is silent).
- moro: stress on the first syllable: MO-ro; single r between vowels sounds like a tap (like the tt in “butter” in American English).
- neste: NEHS-te; the s is usually /s/, though in some accents (e.g., Rio) it can sound like “sh.”
- meses: MEH-zis (the s between vowels sounds like /z/).
- apartamento: a-par-ta-MEN-to (single r is a tap).
Why does singular mês have an accent but plural meses doesn’t?
Singular mês has a circumflex to mark the closed vowel sound. In the plural meses, the vowel quality changes and the accent is no longer needed. Spelling: mês → meses.
Is fazem seis meses wrong?
For time expressions, treat fazer as impersonal: use singular faz. So say Faz seis meses…, not “Fazem seis meses…”. Same idea with tem and há (they don’t agree with “meses”).
Could I use desde with a duration, like desde seis meses?
No. Desde takes a starting point: desde janeiro, desde 2024, desde que me mudei. Use há seis meses (or faz/tem seis meses) for a duration.
Is there any difference between morar, viver, and residir here?
- morar: standard verb for where you live/reside. Best choice here.
- viver: “to live (be alive/lead one’s life)”; can mean “reside” in some contexts/regions, but morar is clearer.
- residir: formal/bureaucratic (“to reside”).
How would I say the negative “I haven’t lived in this apartment for six months”?
Be careful: Não moro neste apartamento há seis meses is usually understood as “It’s been six months since I lived here.” To avoid ambiguity, say:
- Faz seis meses que não moro neste apartamento.
- Or: Não moro mais neste apartamento faz seis meses.