Você tem algum problema hoje?

Do you have any problem today?

Breakdown of Você tem algum problema hoje?

• você: you
• hoje: today
• ter: to have
• o problema: the problem
• algum: any

Questions & Answers about Você tem algum problema hoje?

Why is it tem and not está in this sentence?

In Portuguese, ter (here: tem) is often used to talk about having a problem, not being in a state.

• Você tem algum problema hoje?
  literally: You have some problem today?

If you used estar, you’d get:

• Você está com algum problema hoje?
  literally: Are you with some problem today?

Both are correct, and both can be used. The nuance:

• tem – a bit more neutral and direct: “Do you have any problem today?”
• está com – slightly more about your current condition/state: “Are you having any problem today / Is something wrong today?”

In everyday Brazilian Portuguese, both are common and often interchangeable in this context.

Why is it algum and not alguma, since problema ends in -a?

Even though problema ends in -a, it is grammatically masculine in Portuguese.

This is because problema comes from Greek (like tema, sistema, programa), and many such Greek-origin words ending in -ma are masculine in Portuguese.

So you must match it with masculine forms:

• um problema (not uma problema)
• algum problema (not alguma problema)
• nenhum problema (not nenhuma problema)

Plural:

• alguns problemas
• os problemas

What does algum actually mean here?

Algum basically means some or any, depending on context.

In Você tem algum problema hoje? it corresponds to English any:

• “Do you have any problem today?”

Other examples:

• Algum dia – some day / any day (in questions/negatives)
• Alguma coisa – something / anything

So you can think of:

• algum ≈ some / any (masculine singular)
• alguma ≈ some / any (feminine singular)
• alguns / algumas ≈ some (plural)

Could this sentence sound rude or confrontational, like “Do you have a problem?” in English?

Yes, it can, depending on intonation and context.

Neutral, caring tone (most common meaning here):

• Asking if the person has any issue, difficulty, or problem today.
• Sounds like: “Is there any problem today?” / “Are you having any issues today?”

Confrontational tone (stressed, aggressive):

• Você tem algum problema?
  said sharply, without hoje, can sound like
  “Do you have a problem (with me)?” / “What’s your problem?”

Adding hoje and using a gentle tone usually makes it sound neutral or caring, not rude. Context and voice tone are crucial in Portuguese for this nuance.

Can I drop você and just say Tem algum problema hoje??

Yes. In spoken Brazilian Portuguese, dropping the subject pronoun is very common when it’s clear from context.

• Você tem algum problema hoje?
• Tem algum problema hoje?

Both are natural. The second one is slightly shorter and a bit more casual, but still very normal.

In English you can’t normally drop “you”, but in Portuguese it’s perfectly fine because the verb form (like tem) usually indicates the subject.

Is this sentence formal, informal, or neutral?

Using você is informal to neutral in Brazilian Portuguese. It’s what you’d say to:

• friends
• coworkers
• people your age
• many everyday situations

To be more formal, you might hear:

• O senhor tem algum problema hoje? (to a man)
• A senhora tem algum problema hoje? (to a woman)

But in Brazil, você is widely used even in semi-formal contexts, so your original sentence is fine for most situations.

Can I say Você está com algum problema hoje? instead, and is there any difference?

Yes, you can, and both are natural.

• Você tem algum problema hoje?
• Você está com algum problema hoje?

Nuance:

• tem – slightly more static: “Do you have any problem today?”
• está com – slightly more current state / going through: “Are you having any problem today? / Is something wrong today?”

In everyday speech, Brazilians use both and usually don’t feel a big difference here. Use whichever is easier for you; you’ll hear está com very often in talk about temporary states:
Está com febre? (Do you have a fever?)
Está com dor de cabeça? (Do you have a headache?)

Why is the word order algum problema hoje and not algum hoje problema?

In Portuguese, the adjective/determiner normally comes before the noun, and time expressions like hoje usually come after the object.

Standard order:

• algum problema → determiner (algum) + noun (problema)
• hoje (today) → time word, placed at the end here

So:

• Você tem algum problema hoje? (natural)

You could say:

• Hoje, você tem algum problema? (emphasis on today)

But algum hoje problema is wrong, because algum must directly modify problema, not hoje.

Could I say Você tem alguns problemas hoje? instead?

Grammatically, yes, but the meaning changes a bit.

• Você tem algum problema hoje?
  “Do you have any problem today?” (non-specific, could be zero or one)

• Você tem alguns problemas hoje?
  “Do you have some problems today?” (suggests more than one problem)

In everyday speech, the singular with algum is much more common in this type of question, even if the person might actually have several issues. It’s more natural to use the singular here.

Can problema also mean “question” in Portuguese?

No. Problema means problem, issue, difficulty.

For “question” in the sense of “doubt / something I want to ask”, Brazilians use dúvida:

• Tenho uma dúvida. – I have a question / doubt.
• Você tem alguma dúvida? – Do you have any questions?

So:

• problema – problem, trouble, issue
• dúvida – doubt / question (that you want someone to clarify)

Why is the verb tem and not tens / tens algum problema like in some other resources I’ve seen?

You’re probably seeing materials based on European Portuguese or on the “tu” form.

In Brazilian Portuguese:

• você tem – you have (used almost everywhere in Brazil)

In European Portuguese, or in some regions that use tu:

• tu tens – you have

So:

• Brazil (standard): Você tem algum problema hoje?
• Portugal / “tu” form: Tu tens algum problema hoje?

In many parts of Brazil, tu exists but often still uses the você verb form:
Tu tem algum problema hoje? (common in speech in some regions).

Can I move hoje to the beginning: Hoje você tem algum problema??

Yes, that’s correct and natural. It changes the emphasis slightly.

• Você tem algum problema hoje?
  neutral, normal emphasis on the idea of having a problem

• Hoje você tem algum problema?
  slightly more emphasis on today (“Today, do you have any problem?”)

Both are fine in Brazilian Portuguese. Word order with time expressions like hoje is fairly flexible.

How do you pronounce algum and problema?

Approximate pronunciation for Brazilian Portuguese:

• algum:

  • al – like “ahl”
  • gum – like “goom”, but the m makes the vowel nasal: a-’go͂o
    So overall: ahl-GOON (with a nasal “oon”)

• problema:

  • pro – like “pro” in “problem”
  • ble – “bleh”
  • ma – “mah”
    Stress is on BLE: pro-BLE-ma

So the full sentence:
Você tem algum problema hoje? ≈ vo-SÉ tem ahl-GOON pro-BLE-ma O-zhee?
(“zh” sound in hoje like the “s” in “measure”).