Learn Portuguese (Portugal): O homem tem setenta e quatro anos.

O homem tem setenta e quatro anos.

The man is seventy-four years old.

Breakdown of O homem tem setenta e quatro anos.

Questions & Answers about O homem tem setenta e quatro anos.

Why is there an e in the middle of setenta e quatro?

In Portuguese, when combining tens (like setenta, meaning seventy) and units (like quatro, meaning four), you always connect them with e (and). Unlike English where we say seventy-four, Portuguese literally says seventy and four.

Why does the sentence use tem instead of a word for is?

In English, you are a certain age, but in Portuguese, you have years of age. Tem is the he/she/it form of the verb ter (to have). So this sentence literally translates to the man has seventy and four years. This is a very common difference to remember!

Is setenta related to the number seven?

Yes! Setenta (seventy) is built from the base number sete (seven). For most of the tens in Portuguese, you can easily spot the single-digit number inside the word, just like how oito (eight) becomes oitenta (eighty).

Why is it anos instead of ano?

Anos is the plural of ano (year). Since the man is seventy-four, which is more than one, you must use the plural form. You will always use anos when talking about someone's age, unless a baby is exactly one year old (um ano).