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Do you know how to use the verb HAVER? And what is the difference between the verbs TER (to have) and HAVER? And the difference between the verbs FAZER (to do) and HAVER?
We do use the verb HAVER in formal language, especially in written language, but we rarely use this verb in colloquial language. The verb HAVER may be replaced by the verbs TER (to have) or FAZER (to do), depending on the context.
Let’s start talking about the verbs HAVER and TER.
1. When used in the sense of existing, the verbs HAVER and TER are impersonal verbs, that is, they have no subject and must always be conjugated in the third person singular: TEM or HÁ, whether we are talking about one person or several people.
-Tem uma pessoa na sala. (There is one person in the room.)
-Há uma pessoa na sala. (There is one person in the room.)
-Tem duas pessoas na sala. (There are two people in the room.)
-Há duas pessoas na sala. (There are two people in the room.)
TIP: Whenever you want to say “there is” or “there are” in Portuguese, you should say TEM or HÁ.
2. We can also use these verbs in past or future tenses, but always conjugated in the third person singular.
-Tinha poucos carros na estrada. (There were few cars on the road.)
-Havia poucos carros na estrada. (There were few cars on the road.)
-Vai ter muita gente na festa amanhã. (There will be a lot of people at the party tomorrow.)
-Haverá muita gente na festa amanhã. (There will be a lot of people at the party tomorrow.)
3. The verbs HAVER and TER are also used as auxiliary verbs in compound tenses.
-Eu já tinha estudado este assunto. (I had already studied this subject.)
-Eu já havia estudado este assunto. (I had already studied this subject.)
The verb HAVER cannot be used as an auxiliary verb in every compound tense. It depends on the tense. For this reason, I recommend that you always use the verb TER, which is more common and can be used as an auxiliary verb in all compound tenses.
Let’s now talk about the verbs HAVER and FAZER.
1. When we use the verbs HAVER or FAZER to indicate elapsed time, they are synonymous. The only difference between these two verbs is that the verb HAVER is used in more formal language and the verb FAZER is used in colloquial language. In this context, they must always be conjugated in the third person singular: HÁ or FAZ.
-Não vejo minha mãe há muito tempo. (I haven’t seen my mother in a long time.)
-Não vejo minha mãe faz muito tempo. (I haven’t seen my mother in a long time.)
-Eu moro em Nova York há dez anos. (I’ve been living in New York for ten years.)
-Eu moro em Nova York faz dez anos. (I’ve been living in New York for ten years.)
-Cheguei ao trabalho há 10 minutos. (I got to work 10 minutes ago.)
-Cheguei ao trabalho faz 10 minutos. (I got to work 10 minutes ago.)
To summarize: the verb HAVER can be used mainly in three situations:
1. In the sense of existing. In this case, we can also use the verb TER:
– Há árvores no meu quintal. (There are trees in my backyard.)
-Tem árvores no meu quintal. (There are trees in my backyard.
2. In compound tenses. In this case, we can also use the verb TER:
– Ele havia viajado no verão. (He had traveled in the summer.)
– Ele tinha viajado no verão. (He had traveled in the summer.)
3. To indicate elapsed time. In this case, we can also use the verb FAZER:
– Não viajo há muito tempo. (I haven’t traveled for a long time.)
– Não viajo faz muito tempo. (I haven’t traveled for a long time.)
Note that the verbs TER (to have) and FAZER (to do) can also be used in many other different contexts. In this lesson, we studied only the use of these verbs as synonyms for the verb HAVER.
That’s it, guys! Now you know how to use (or not to use) the verb HAVER.
Now it’s homework time! Write a comment below using the verbs HAVER, TER and FAZER.
Até a próxima!
