Log inSign up

Eu estou constipado e tenho de descansar.

Eu estou constipado e tenho de descansar.
I have a cold and I have to rest.
From Lesson 48:Expressing obligation (ter de)·Portuguese (Portugal)

Breakdown of Eu estou constipado e tenho de descansar.

e
and
descansar
to rest
ter de
to have to
estar constipado
to have a cold

Questions & Answers about Eu estou constipado e tenho de descansar.

Wait, does constipado mean what it sounds like in English?
No, it's a famous "false friend"! In Portuguese, estar constipado means to have a common cold. In English you say "I have a cold", but in Portuguese you are literally saying "I am cold-ed".
Why use estou (I am) instead of sou?
Having a cold is a temporary condition, not a permanent part of who you are. Because of this, we use estou (from the verb estar, which is used for temporary states) rather than sou (from the verb ser, which is for permanent traits).
If a woman is speaking, does any part of this sentence change?
Yes. The word constipado acts as an adjective describing the speaker. Adjectives must match the gender of the person they describe, so a woman would say Eu estou constipada.
Why is there a de between tenho and descansar?
This is how you express obligation ("have to") in Portuguese. The verb ter by itself means "to have" in the sense of owning something. But when you use ter + de + an action verb in its basic form (like descansar), it means "to have to do something".
Could I leave out the Eu at the beginning?
Absolutely. Because the verb estou can only mean "I am", the "I" is already built into the verb. Saying Estou constipado... is very natural and common in everyday Portuguese.

Learn Eu estou constipado e tenho de descansar and more in Portuguese

All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.

  • ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
  • ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
  • ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free
Start learning Portuguese →