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Questions & Answers about Eu tenho saudades de ti.
What does the word saudades mean in this sentence?
In this context, saudades expresses a deep feeling of longing or missing someone. It conveys more than a simple absence; it includes nostalgia and emotional yearning, much like the English phrase "I miss you", but with an added layer of bittersweet sentiment.
Why is the verb ter ("to have") used instead of a verb that means "to miss"?
Portuguese expresses the emotion by saying "ter saudades"—literally, "to have saudades"—instead of directly saying "to miss." This idiomatic structure means that someone has a longing or nostalgia, which is a different construction compared to English, where we say "I miss you."
What is the role of "ti" in the sentence, and why is it used?
"Ti" is the informal, unstressed object pronoun used in European Portuguese to mean "you" when speaking directly to someone you know well. It specifically indicates that the saudade is directed toward that person. In less informal or different regional usages (such as in Brazil), you might see "você" used instead.
Is the verb "tenho" in a specific tense, and what does that tell us about the emotion being expressed?
Yes, "tenho" is the first-person singular form of ter in the present tense. This indicates that the feeling of saudade is current and ongoing. Even though the emotion may be related to memories or past experiences, the construction shows that the speaker is presently experiencing the longing.
Why doesn’t a literal translation like "I have misses of you" work in English?
A literal translation does not work because idiomatic expressions rarely translate word for word between languages. In English, we do not use the verb "to have" when expressing longing; instead, we simply say "I miss you." The Portuguese construction "ter saudades" is a unique idiom that captures a culturally specific way of experiencing and expressing emotional longing.
How would you adjust this sentence for a formal context in Portuguese (Portugal)?
For a more formal context, you would replace "ti" with the appropriate formal pronoun. For example, if speaking to a man, you might say "Eu tenho saudades do senhor", and if speaking to a woman, "Eu tenho saudades da senhora." This change respects the formal register while keeping the overall structure and meaning of the expression.