Breakdown of Ultimamente tenho visto mais sorrisos no escritório.
ter
to have
em
in
mais
more
ver
to see
o escritório
the office
o sorriso
the smile
ultimamente
lately
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Questions & Answers about Ultimamente tenho visto mais sorrisos no escritório.
Why is the verb tenho visto used instead of the simple past vi?
Portuguese ter + past participle forms the present perfect, which in European Portuguese expresses repeated or ongoing actions or states in the recent past. Vi (pretérito perfeito) indicates a single, completed action. In this sentence, tenho visto highlights a trend (“I’ve been seeing more smiles lately”) rather than a one-off event.
What’s the difference between tenho visto in Portuguese and I have seen in English?
In English, the present perfect (I have seen) often links past events to the present or focuses on experiences up to now. In European Portuguese, ter + past participle generally describes habitual or repeated actions over a period. So Ultimamente tenho visto emphasises a continuing pattern of seeing smiles, not just a past experience.
Why is there no subject pronoun eu before tenho visto?
Portuguese is a pro-drop language: the verb ending (-o in tenho) already indicates the subject “I.” Including eu is optional and would only add emphasis or contrast.
What does Ultimamente mean, and why is it at the beginning?
Ultimamente means “lately” or “recently.” Placing it at the start sets the time frame for the entire sentence. You could also say Tenho visto mais sorrisos no escritório ultimamente without changing the core meaning; front-position simply adds emphasis on the timing.
Why does the sentence say no escritório and not em escritório?
Portuguese typically uses definite articles before places. No is the contraction of em + o (“in the”). Without an article, em escritório would sound odd unless “escritório” were a generic or abstract concept.
Why is mais placed before sorrisos?
As a quantifier meaning “more,” mais precedes the noun it modifies. If mais were intensifying an adjective, it would still come before that adjective (e.g., mais bonito for “prettier”).
Could you use the continuous form estou a ver instead of tenho visto?
Estou a ver (“I am seeing”) in European Portuguese indicates what is happening right now; it doesn’t express a repeated or ongoing trend over a period. To talk about an ongoing pattern, you use tenho visto.
Is ultimamente the same as recentemente?
They’re similar but not identical. Recentemente refers to events that happened in the recent past. Ultimamente emphasises a continuing trend or habit up to the present moment. In this context, ultimamente is better because we’re describing an ongoing pattern of smiles.