Breakdown of Tenho certeza.
ter certeza
to be sure
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Questions & Answers about Tenho certeza.
Why does Portuguese use tenho here instead of something like sou or estou?
Because ter certeza is the normal Portuguese expression for to be sure or to be certain.
Portuguese often uses ter + noun where English uses to be + adjective. So:
- Tenho certeza = literally I have certainty
- natural English = I’m sure
So sou certeza or estou certeza would not work.
A different correct option is Estou certo / Estou certa, but that is a different structure.
What form is tenho?
Tenho is the 1st person singular present tense form of the verb ter.
So it means:
- I have
- and in this expression, I am sure
A few present-tense forms of ter are:
- eu tenho = I have
- você tem = you have
- ele/ela tem = he/she has
- nós temos = we have
- eles/elas têm = they have
Notice that tenho is irregular, so it does not follow a perfectly regular pattern.
Why is there no eu?