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Portuguese (Portugal)

### Obligation vs. Task Possession

In European Portuguese, there is a normative difference between **ter de** and **ter que**. While native speakers sometimes mix them up in informal speech, formal grammar separates strict obligations from possessing tasks to do. 

Use **ter de** + infinitive to express a strict obligation ("must" or "have to").

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Use **ter que** + infinitive for possessing things, chores, or tasks to complete ("having [something] to do"). This almost always follows quantity words or indefinite pronouns like **muito** (a lot), **pouco** (little), **algo** (something), or **nada** (nothing).

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Without a specific quantity word, use **ter o que**. Notice how the following sentence contrasts task possession (**ter o que**) with a resulting obligation (**ter de**):

{{item:1038966}}

This contrast is especially clear in the negative. Not having to do something (lack of obligation) uses **não ter de**. Not having anything to do (lack of tasks) uses **não ter nada que** or **não ter o que**.

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Obligation vs. task possession (ter de / ter que)

adjective

adverb

conjunction

contraction

determiner

interjection

noun

numeral

particle

phrase

prefix

prep

preposition

pron

pronoun

sentence

verb

Demonstratives and the verb to be (isto é, o, a)

Subject pronouns and negation (eu, não)

Yes/no questions and question words (quem, o que)

Plural pronouns, articles, and verbs (somos, são, os, as)

Origin and possession (de, do, da)

Introductions (chamar-se)

Indefinite articles (um, uma, uns, umas)

The verb to be for locations (estar)

Contrasting the two verbs to be (ser vs. estar)

Preposition for locations (em, no, na)

Numbers 0 to 10 (zero, um, dois)

The verb to have (tenho, tem)

Regular -ar verbs (falar, trabalhar)

Regular -er verbs (comer, beber)

Regular -ir verbs (abrir, partir)

My, your, and our (o meu, a nossa)

His, hers, and theirs (dele, dela)

Adjective agreement and placement

Days of the week (segunda-feira)

Months of the year (janeiro)

Counting by tens to 100 (trinta, quarenta...)

Telling time (é uma, são...)

Asking about time (quando, a que horas)

The verb to go (ir)

Prepositions of direction (a, para)

Preposition a contractions (ao, à, aos, às)

Prepositions of place (ao lado de, em frente de...)

Demonstratives (este, esse, aquele)

Contractions with demonstratives (neste, desse, daquele)

Asking which and how many (qual, quanto)

Plurals ending in -ão (-ões, -ãos, -ães)

Plurals ending in consonants (-ns, -is, -es)

The verb to like (gostar de)

The verb to need (precisar de)

The verb to want (querer)

The verb can or may (poder)

Expressing obligation (ter de)

Adverbs of degree (muito, pouco)

Quantifiers (muito, pouco)

Comparatives (mais... do que, menos... do que)

Equality comparisons (tão... como)

The preposition com (comigo, contigo)

Coordinating conjunctions (e, mas, ou, porque)

The preposition por (pelo, pela)

Double negation (nunca, nada, ninguém)

Present continuous (estar a)

Near future (ir)

Past tense of regular -ar verbs

Past tense of regular -er and -ir verbs

Past tense of ser and ir (fui, foi)

Direct object pronouns (me, te, o, a, nos, os, as)

Pronoun placement with negatives and questions

Greetings and courtesy (bom dia, obrigado)

Physical states with ter (ter fome, ter frio)

Asking the way (à direita, sempre em frente)

Colours (vermelho, amarelo, cor-de-rosa)

Money and shopping (custar, a moeda)

Getting around (o motorista, a paragem de autocarro)

Weather and seasons (faz calor, o inverno)

Omitting the subject pronoun

Where things are: ficar (Onde fica...?)

Richer questions: que + noun and é que

Numbers above 100 (cento e vinte, mil)

First-person sound changes (durmo, prefiro)

Advice and ability: dever and saber

Asking why: porquê and porque

When one thing happens: quando-clauses

Here and there: aqui, aí, ali (cá e lá)

Formal and plural possessives: o seu, o vosso

Irregular presents: ver, vir, dar

Present irregulars

Reflexive verbs (me, te, se, nos)

Stem-changing reflexives

Attached object pronouns (-lo, -la, -los, -las)

Nasal attached pronouns (-no, -na, -nos, -nas)

Pronoun placement with adverbs

Past tense of fazer, dizer, and trazer

Past tense of ter, estar, poder, and saber

Past tense of querer and vir

Past tense of ver, dar, and ler

Past tense reflexive verbs (-se)

Time elapsed in the past (há)

Question	Answer
the head housekeeper	a governanta
the carpet	a alcatifa
The head housekeeper was going to speak with me, because I have to clean the carpet.	A governanta ia falar comigo, porque tenho de limpar a alcatifa.
the room attendant	a camareira
to disinfect	desinfetar
The new room attendant has a lot to do and little to disinfect.	A nova camareira tem muito que fazer e pouco que desinfetar.
the mop	a esfregona
We have to use the mop in the room whose floor is dirty.	Temos de usar a esfregona no quarto cujo chão está sujo.
to restock	abastecer
the minibar	o minibar
They have things to restock, so they have to open the minibar.	Eles têm o que abastecer, por isso têm de abrir o minibar.
the wardrobe	o roupeiro
Do you have something to store in the wardrobe, or do you no longer have to open it?	Tens algo que guardar no roupeiro, ou já não o tens de abrir?
the doorknob	a maçaneta
The head housekeeper wants to speak with you, because you have to disinfect the doorknob.	A governanta quer falar consigo, porque o senhor tem de desinfetar a maçaneta.
the pillowcase	a fronha
The room attendant does not have any pillowcase to wash, but she has to restock the minibar.	A camareira não tem nenhuma fronha que lavar, mas tem de abastecer o minibar.
I was going to use the mop, but after all I have nothing to clean.	Ia usar a esfregona, mas afinal não tenho nada que limpar.
The head housekeeper whose room attendants have a lot to learn has to be calm.	A governanta cujas camareiras têm muito que aprender tem de ser calma.
You do not have to vacuum the carpet, because you do not have anything to vacuum today.	Vocês não têm de aspirar a alcatifa, porque não têm o que aspirar hoje.
I was going to tidy the wardrobe with you, but I still have to change the pillowcase.	Ia arrumar o roupeiro contigo, mas ainda tenho de mudar a fronha.
We have a lot to do, because we have to clean each doorknob tomorrow.	Temos muito que fazer, porque temos de limpar cada maçaneta amanhã.