Eu tenho sete livros na estante.

I have seven books on the shelf.

Breakdown of Eu tenho sete livros na estante.

• eu: I
• ter: to have
• o livro: the book
• em: on
• a estante: the shelf
• sete: seven

Questions & Answers about Eu tenho sete livros na estante.

Why is eu used before tenho? Is it necessary?

Portuguese is a pro-drop language, which means the subject pronoun can be omitted because the verb ending already indicates the person. Tenho sete livros na estante is perfectly correct. You include eu mainly to add emphasis or clarity, for instance if you want to contrast with someone else: Eu tenho sete livros, mas tu tens cinco.

What exactly does the verb ter mean here? Is it the same as “to have” in English?

Yes, in this context ter simply means to possess or own something—just like English to have. Note that Portuguese also uses ter in some idiomatic expressions where English might use to be, but here it’s straightforward possession.

Why is the number sete always the same? Does it change for gender or number?

Cardinal numbers in Portuguese do not inflect for gender or plurality. Sete remains sete whether you have seven books (masculine plural), seven tables (feminine plural), or any other seven items.

Why is livros plural?

Because the quantity expressed by sete exceeds one, the noun livro (book) must be in its plural form: livros.

What does na stand for? How is it formed?

Na is the contraction of the preposition em (in/on) with the feminine singular definite article a (the):

• em + a = na
  So na estante literally means “in the shelf” or “on the shelf,” depending on context.

Why do we need the article a before estante?

Portuguese typically requires a definite article before a specific noun, especially when indicating location. Saying na estante signals you’re referring to a particular shelf (the one you both know about).

Could I say sobre a estante instead of na estante?

Yes, sobre a estante means “on top of the shelf” and highlights the surface relationship. Em/na estante is more common for general location (“in” or “on” the shelf), while sobre is a bit more precise about being on the shelf’s surface.

Can I express the same idea with há? For example, Há sete livros na estante?

You can, but the nuance changes:

• Há sete livros na estante = “There are seven books on the shelf,” stating existence.
• Eu tenho sete livros na estante = “I have seven books on the shelf,” focusing on your possession of them.

Is it possible to drop eu and say Tenho sete livros na estante?

Absolutely. In everyday speech and writing, you would more often hear Tenho sete livros na estante without the pronoun, because the verb ending already tells you it’s first person singular.

Can I use a possessive adjective here, like meus? For instance, Tenho meus sete livros na estante?

You could, but it’s usually unnecessary. Tenho sete livros already implies they belong to you. Using meus sete livros is redundant unless you want to emphasise “my seven books” specifically, perhaps in contrast to someone else’s books.