Breakdown of Tenho tosse desde ontem e a garganta está irritada.
estar
to be
ter
to have
e
and
ontem
yesterday
desde
since
a tosse
the cough
a garganta
the throat
irritado
irritated
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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