Question 1

Why do we use de between tenho and preparar?

Accepted Answer

To say you 'have to' do something, Portuguese uses the verb ter (to have) followed by the word de and then the main action verb in its base form (called the infinitive). Here, tenho de gives us 'I have to', and the infinitive preparar means 'to prepare'.

Question 2

I've heard people say tenho que instead of tenho de. Can I use either?

Accepted Answer

In European Portuguese, ter de is the grammatically correct way to express a duty or obligation like 'have to'. You might hear ter que in casual everyday speech or in Brazilian Portuguese, but it is best to learn and use ter de in Portugal.

Question 3

Where is the word for 'I' (eu) in this sentence?

Accepted Answer

In Portuguese, we can usually leave out subject pronouns like eu (I) because the verb ending tells us exactly who is doing the action. The form tenho specifically means 'I have', so adding eu at the beginning isn't necessary here.

Question 4

How do I know that reunião is a feminine word?

Accepted Answer

You can tell it is feminine because it has the feminine word for 'the' (a) right before it. As a helpful general rule, most Portuguese words that end in -ão, like reunião (meeting) or televisão (television), are feminine.

Question 5

Does amanhã mean 'tomorrow' or 'the morning'?

Accepted Answer

Written as a single word, amanhã means 'tomorrow'. If you want to say 'the morning', you use two separate words: a manhã. They sound very similar, so context helps tell them apart!

Tenho de preparar a reunião amanhã.

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