Sign inSign up

Eu tenho de pagar a mensalidade hoje.

Eu tenho de pagar a mensalidade hoje.
I have to pay the monthly fee today.

Breakdown of Eu tenho de pagar a mensalidade hoje.

eu
I
hoje
today
ter de
to have to
pagar
to pay
a mensalidade
the monthly fee
Elon.io is an online learning platform
We have an entire course teaching Portuguese grammar and vocabulary.

Start learning Portuguese now

Questions & Answers about Eu tenho de pagar a mensalidade hoje.

Is there any difference between ter de and ter que in Portugal?
  • Both mean have to/must. In European Portuguese, ter de is the traditionally recommended and more neutral form: Eu tenho de pagar.
  • Ter que is also very common in everyday speech and widely accepted: Eu tenho que pagar.
  • Any subtle meaning difference you might read about is not really observed in modern usage. In formal writing, prefer ter de.
Can I drop the subject pronoun Eu?
  • Yes. Portuguese is a pro‑drop language, so Tenho de pagar a mensalidade hoje is perfectly natural.
  • Keeping Eu adds emphasis or contrast, e.g., Eu tenho de pagar, mas tu não.
Is the a before mensalidade the article or the preposition to?
  • Here it is the feminine definite article a meaning the.
  • It is not the preposition a (to). Compare:
    • Direct object with article: pagar a mensalidade
    • Indirect object with preposition: pagar à escola (to the school; note à = a + a)
Why is it a mensalidade and not o mensalidade?
  • Mensalidade is feminine (most nouns ending in -dade are feminine), so it takes a/uma/as/umas.
  • Examples: a mensalidade, as mensalidades, uma mensalidade.
Where can I put hoje in the sentence? Do I need a comma?
  • Common options (all correct):
    • Tenho de pagar a mensalidade hoje.
    • Hoje tenho de pagar a mensalidade.
    • Eu hoje tenho de pagar a mensalidade. (adds emphasis on today)
  • No comma is needed in these short cases. After a longer fronted time phrase, a comma is more likely.
How do I say who I have to pay?
  • Structure: pagar [thing] a [recipient] or pagar a [recipient] [thing].
  • The preposition a contracts with articles:
    • ao = a + o; à = a + a; aos = a + os; às = a + as
  • Examples:
    • Tenho de pagar a mensalidade à escola.
    • Tenho de pagar à escola a mensalidade.
    • Tenho de pagar a mensalidade ao ginásio.
If I replace a mensalidade with a pronoun, where does it go?
  • Feminine singular direct object pronoun is a, which becomes -la after an infinitive ending in -r/-s/-z.
  • Most idiomatic in EP with ter de + infinitive:
    • Tenho de a pagar hoje. (proclisis to the infinitive)
    • or Tenho de pagá-la hoje. (enclisis to the infinitive; note the hyphen and the accent: pagá-la, not pagar-la)
  • In the negative, the pronoun can climb:
    • Não a tenho de pagar hoje.
    • Não tenho de a pagar hoje.
Are there any contractions with de here?
  • Not inside ter de. You should not write tenho do pagar.
  • You will see de contract with articles in other parts of the sentence:
    • Tenho de pagar a mensalidade do ginásio. (de + o = do)
    • Tenho de pagar a mensalidade da escola. (de + a = da)
How is this pronounced in European Portuguese?
  • Eu: like ehw (a quick e + w glide).
  • tenho: TEN-nyoo, with nasal N (nh = the ñ sound in canyon).
  • de: very reduced, like d-uh (often almost just a d sound linking to pagar).
  • pagar: pah-GAR, with a hard g; final r is soft/guttural depending on accent.
  • a: very short uh.
  • mensalidade: men-sah-lee-DAH-d(uh), with the final e very weak.
  • hoje: OH-zh(uh), with j/zh like in measure.
Could I use devo or preciso de instead of tenho de?
  • Devo pagar: I should/must pay; often a moral/official obligation or a strong recommendation. Also used for logical deduction in other contexts (e.g., Ele deve estar em casa = He must be at home).
  • Preciso de pagar: I need to pay; focuses on necessity/need.
  • Tenho de pagar: neutral, everyday obligation. All are valid; choose by nuance.
Does mensalidade always mean tuition? What about propina?
  • In Portugal, mensalidade is any monthly fee (gym, daycare, private school, etc.). University tuition is usually propinas (plural): pagar as propinas.
  • In Brazil, mensalidade is common for tuition; propina usually means bribe. Be aware of this cross‑variety false friend.
What tense is tenho, and how do I say it in other tenses/persons?
  • Tenho is present tense, 1st person singular of ter.
  • Present (indicative): eu tenho, tu tens, ele/ela/você tem, nós temos, vocês/eles/elas têm
    • e.g., Ele tem de pagar hoje.
  • Past (pretérito perfeito): tive, tiveste, teve, tivemos, tiveram
    • e.g., Ontem tive de pagar.
  • Future: terei de pagar is correct but formal; in speech, use Vou ter de pagar.