Learn Hardcore Portuguese (Portugal): Se tens fome, come qualquer coisa.

ter fome (literally “to have hunger”) is the most neutral/common way to say “to be hungry” in European Portuguese.
- Eu tenho fome. – I’m hungry.
- Se tens fome… – If you’re hungry…
estar com fome (literally “to be with hunger”) also means “to be hungry”, and is very common too:
- Estás com fome? – Are you hungry?

In this sentence, Se tens fome is just a natural, short way to say it. You could also say Se estás com fome, come qualquer coisa, and it would still be correct and idiomatic. The choice here is mostly style and habit, not a big change in meaning.

Why is there no tu before tens?

Portuguese normally drops subject pronouns because the verb ending already shows who the subject is.

tu tens – you (singular, informal) have
ele/ela tem – he/she has

Because tens can only be tu (you, informal singular), tu is not needed:

Tu tens fome → completely fine
Tens fome → more natural in everyday speech

So Se tens fome simply omits tu, just like Spanish often omits tú.

What exactly is tens here in terms of grammar?

Tens is:

the present indicative,
2nd person singular,
of the verb ter (to have).

Full (relevant) present tense of ter in European Portuguese:

eu tenho – I have
tu tens – you (informal, singular) have
ele/ela/você tem – he/she/you (formal, singular) has

So Se tens fome… literally is If you have hunger… → If you’re hungry…

Why is it come and not comes after the comma?

Because come here is the imperative form for tu (informal “you”) of comer (to eat).

For regular -er verbs like comer:

present indicative (tu): comes – you eat
imperative (tu): come – eat!

So:

Tu comes muito. – You eat a lot. (statement)
Come! – Eat! (command)

In Se tens fome, come qualquer coisa, the second part is a suggestion/command, so it has to use the imperative come, not comes.
✗ Se tens fome, comes qualquer coisa is ungrammatical in this meaning.

Is come here imperative or could it be present tense?

Formally, come can be both:

present indicative, 3rd person singular – ele/ela come (he/she eats)
imperative, 2nd person singular (tu) – come! (eat!)

In this sentence, it must be imperative because:

The structure Se tens fome, … sets up a condition followed by advice/command.
There is no explicit ele/ela, and context clearly means “you, eat something.”

So come qualquer coisa = “eat something”, addressed to tu.

Why is it Se tens fome and not Se tiveres fome?

Both are correct, but they’re used slightly differently.

Se tens fome – present indicative
- Often used when the condition feels more immediate or “realistic” (now / in general).
- Se tens fome, come qualquer coisa. – If you’re (now) hungry, eat something.
Se tiveres fome – future subjunctive
- Often used for future, more hypothetical situations.
- Se tiveres fome mais tarde, há sopa. – If you (happen to) get hungry later, there’s soup.

Here, the idea is more “if (right now) you’re hungry, then eat something”, so Se tens fome is natural and informal. Se tiveres fome would sound a bit more formal or more clearly future‑oriented.

What does qualquer coisa literally mean, and what’s its usual English equivalent?

Literally, qualquer coisa is “any thing”.

In practice, its most common translations are:

something
anything

So:

Come qualquer coisa. – Eat something / Eat anything.
Queres qualquer coisa? – Do you want anything?

In contexts like this sentence, “Eat something” is usually the best, most natural English rendering.

Could I say alguma coisa instead of qualquer coisa?

Yes, you can. The meaning is very close, but there’s a nuance:

qualquer coisa – very broad, “anything at all”, a bit more casual.
alguma coisa – “something”, sometimes felt as slightly more specific or neutral.

So:

Come qualquer coisa. – Eat anything / Eat something (no particular preference).
Come alguma coisa. – Eat something (implies “don’t stay without eating”).

Both work well here; qualquer coisa is just a very common, relaxed choice.

Is the comma after fome necessary in Portuguese?

Yes, it’s standard and recommended.

In Portuguese, we normally use a comma between:

a conditional clause starting with se (Se tens fome)
and the main clause (come qualquer coisa).

So:

Se tens fome, come qualquer coisa.

Writing it without a comma is common in informal text messages, but in correct writing, the comma is expected.

How would I say this more politely or formally, for example to a stranger or an older person?

Switch from tu to a formal você or o senhor / a senhora, and adjust the verbs:

With você:

Se tem fome, coma qualquer coisa.

With o senhor / a senhora:

Se o senhor tiver fome, coma qualquer coisa.
Se a senhora tiver fome, coma qualquer coisa.

Note that with você / o senhor / a senhora, the command form is coma (3rd person imperative), not come.

Can I change the order in qualquer coisa, like coisa qualquer?

You can, but it changes the tone.

qualquer coisa – neutral “something / anything”.
coisa qualquer – more like “some random thing / any old thing”, often slightly dismissive or less specific.

For this friendly suggestion, come qualquer coisa is the standard, neutral expression.
Come uma coisa qualquer could sound more like “eat some random thing, whatever”, sometimes with a hint of “I don’t care what.”