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Tenho tosse desde ontem e a garganta está irritada.

Tenho tosse desde ontem e a garganta está irritada.
I’ve had a cough since yesterday and my throat is irritated.
FromLesson 34inHardcore Portuguese (Portugal)

Questions & Answers about Tenho tosse desde ontem e a garganta está irritada.

Why is the present tense used with desde ontem instead of something like English “have had since yesterday”?

Portuguese uses the present simple with desde + point in time to express something that started in the past and continues now.

  • Tenho tosse desde ontem. = I have a cough since yesterday (and still do). Using a past tense implies it’s over:
  • Tive tosse desde ontem até esta manhã. = I had a cough from yesterday until this morning.
Is desde de ontem correct?

No. Use desde ontem (no extra de).

  • With nouns that take an article, include it: desde o ano passado, desde a semana passada.
  • With a clause, use desde que: desde que acordei = since I woke up.
What’s the difference between desde ontem and há um dia?
  • desde ontem = since yesterday (gives a starting point).
  • há um dia = for a day (gives a duration).
    Examples:
  • Tenho tosse desde ontem.
  • Tenho tosse há um dia. You can also say: Há um dia que tenho tosse.
    In negatives: Não tenho tosse há dois dias. = I haven’t had a cough for two days.
Why is it Tenho tosse and not Tenho uma tosse?

The noun tosse (cough) is typically uncountable when you mean “a cough” as a condition, so no article: Tenho tosse.
Use uma when specifying a type:

  • Tenho uma tosse seca/persistente.
Is Estou com tosse also correct in European Portuguese?

Yes. Estou com tosse is fine and emphasizes a temporary state. In Portugal, both Tenho tosse and Estou com tosse are common; tenho is very idiomatic. Both can take time expressions:

  • Estou com tosse desde ontem.
How do I say “I’m coughing” (as an action) rather than “I have a cough”?

Use the verb tossir with the European Portuguese progressive:

  • Estou a tossir. = I’m coughing. Compare:
  • Tenho tosse. = I have a cough (a state/condition).
What’s the verb “to cough,” and what are key forms I should know?

The verb is tossir. Present tense:

  • eu tusso, tu tosses, ele/ela tosse, nós tossimos, vocês/eles/elas tossem
    Preterite (simple past):
  • eu tossi, tu tossiste, ele/ela tossiu, nós tossimos, vocês/eles/elas tossiram
    Progressive (EU PT): estar a tossir → estou a tossir.
Why is it a garganta (“the throat”) and not minha garganta (“my throat”)?

European Portuguese usually uses the definite article with body parts when it’s clear whose body part it is, often with a verb that shows possession/experience:

  • Dói-me a garganta. = My throat hurts. You can use a minha garganta for emphasis or clarity, but in neutral statements a garganta sounds natural.
Why does irritada end with -a?

Adjectives agree in gender and number with the noun. garganta is feminine singular, so the adjective is irritada.

  • a garganta irritada (fem. sg.)
  • o nariz irritado (masc. sg.)
  • as amígdalas irritadas (fem. pl.)
Can I say Tenho a garganta irritada instead of a garganta está irritada?

Yes. Both are natural:

  • Tenho a garganta irritada. (literally “I have the throat irritated”)
  • A garganta está irritada. The ter + noun + adjective pattern is very idiomatic for physical states: Tenho os olhos vermelhos.
How else can I talk about a sore/irritated throat?

Common options:

  • Tenho dor de garganta. / Tenho dores de garganta.
  • A garganta dói-me.
  • Tenho a garganta inflamada/arranhada/dorida.
  • Estou rouco/rouca. (I’m hoarse)
  • Sinto ardor na garganta.
Any quick phrases for a pharmacy visit?
  • Tem algo para a tosse e para a garganta irritada?
  • Preciso de um xarope para a tosse.
  • A minha garganta está muito irritada desde ontem.
Pronunciation tips for tricky parts of the sentence?
  • tenho: the nh sounds like the “ny” in canyon (TEN-yoo).
  • tosse: open “o” (like “toss”), final e is a light, unstressed vowel (TÓS-suh).
  • desde: the s sounds like the “zh” in “vision” before a voiced consonant (DEZH-duh).
  • ontem: nasal vowel in on and a nasal ending (ÓN-teng; no hard g).
  • garganta: single r between vowels is a quick tap (like Spanish r): gar-GAN-tuh.
  • irritada: rr is a throaty sound (like French r): ee-hee-TAH-duh.
  • está: stress the last syllable: es-TAH.
Why is there no article before ontem?
Because ontem is an adverb (“yesterday”), not a noun. Time adverbs like hoje, amanhã, ontem don’t take articles. Hence desde ontem.
Are there Portugal–Brazil differences I should know here?
  • Progressive: EU PT uses estar a + infinitive (estou a tossir); BR uses estar + gerúndio (estou tossindo).
  • Both varieties accept tenho tosse and estou com tosse, but estou com tosse is especially common in Brazil.
  • Watch the false friend constipado: in Portugal, estou constipado/a means “I have a cold,” not “constipated.”
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