Learn Portuguese (Portugal): Eu tenho de acordar cedo amanhã.

In Portuguese, the verb ter on its own means to possess or own something. To say you have to do an action, you must use the set phrase ter de followed by a verb in its dictionary form (the infinitive). Here, tenho de connects directly to the infinitive acordar (to wake up).

I sometimes hear people say tenho que instead of tenho de. Can I use either?

In everyday spoken Portuguese, you will often hear both tenho de acordar and tenho que acordar. Traditional grammar rules prefer ter de to express an obligation or duty, but ter que is widely accepted in casual conversation. Since your lesson focuses on ter de, it is a great habit to practice that form!

Do I need to add a word for myself, like acordar-me?

No, acordar (to wake up) does not need an extra pronoun in Portuguese. You just use the verb on its own. This is a helpful detail to remember because another common morning verb, levantar-se (to get up out of bed), does require one!

Can I drop the word Eu and just start the sentence with Tenho de?