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Questions & Answers about Eu tenho oito livros.
Why do we use Eu in Eu tenho oito livros? Isn’t the verb conjugation enough?
In Portuguese the verb ending -o already indicates the first-person singular, so you can drop the pronoun. However, including Eu adds emphasis or clarity. Both Eu tenho oito livros and Tenho oito livros are correct; the first explicitly stresses “I.”
Can I simply say Tenho oito livros without Eu?
Yes. In European Portuguese, omitting the subject pronoun is very common in everyday speech. Tenho oito livros sounds natural and idiomatic.
How do you pronounce tenho?
The digraph nh in Portuguese is like the Spanish ñ. In European Portuguese, tenho is pronounced roughly TEH-nyoo with a nasalized vowel in the first syllable (IPA: [ˈtẽ.ɲu]).
Why is oito always the same, regardless of gender or number?
Cardinal numbers in Portuguese are invariable. Oito does not change whether you count masculine or feminine nouns, or singular vs. plural.
Why is livros plural after oito?
When you count more than one item, the noun takes a plural ending. Since oito (eight) is greater than one, livro becomes livros.
Could I use an article before oito livros?
Yes, but it changes the meaning.
• Eu tenho oito livros = I have eight books (some eight books, unspecified).
• Eu tenho os oito livros = I have the eight books (the specific eight books we already talked about).
What’s the difference between ter and haver for “there is/are” vs. possession?
Use ter for possession: Eu tenho oito livros means “I have eight books.”
Use haver impersonally for existence: Há oito livros na mesa means “There are eight books on the table.” You wouldn’t use haver to express personal possession.
How do I say “You have eight books” in Portuguese?
For informal tu, use Tu tens oito livros.
For formal or plural você, use Você tem oito livros.
Notice how tenho changes to tens or tem.
Could I say Eu possuo oito livros instead of Eu tenho oito livros?
Yes. Possuir means “to possess,” so Eu possuo oito livros is correct but more formal or literary. In everyday conversation, native speakers almost always use ter.
Why is the order always oito livros and never livros oito?
In Portuguese cardinal numbers precede the noun they modify. Livros oito would sound ungrammatical; you must say oito livros.