tive/tiveste/teve/tivemos/tiveram

Pretérito Perfeito De Ter

Level 2

The Pretérito Perfeito of ter (tive, teve, etc.) describes 'having' something at a specific point in the past or 'getting' something as an event. It is highly irregular and does not follow the standard -er verb endings.

How It Works

The verb ter is one of the most important 'strong preterites' in Portuguese. Its stem changes from the present tense stem ten- (from tenho) to tiv-.

1. Completed Possession vs. State:
Use tive when the possession is viewed as a finished event. For example, 'Tive uma ideia' (I had an idea) implies the idea suddenly occurred to you. If you say 'Eu tinha um carro,' it implies you owned it over a period of time.

2. Eventive Meaning:
In many contexts, tive translates as 'had' in the sense of experiencing or undergoing an event.
Example: Tive um problema (I had a problem) or Tive um filho (I had a child).

3. Obligation:
When followed by que or de, it expresses an obligation that was actually fulfilled.
Example: Tive que trabalhar (I had to work — and I did).

4. Existential 'Teve' (Brazil):
In Brazilian Portuguese, teve is used informally to replace houve (there was/were). Note that in this existential sense, it remains invariable (always singular), even with plural subjects.
Example: Teve muitas pessoas na festa (There were many people at the party).

Conjugation:

  • Eu tive
  • Tu tiveste
  • Você/Ele/Ela teve
  • Nós tivemos
  • Vocês/Eles/Elas tiveram

Examples (5)

  1. Ontem eu tive muito trabalho.

    Yesterday I had a lot of work.

    Word by Word: Yesterday I had much work.

    Uses 'tive' because the work is viewed as a specific, completed event that happened yesterday.

  2. Ela teve um bebê na semana passada.

    She had a baby last week.

    Word by Word: She had a baby in the week past.

    In this context, 'teve' refers to the specific event of giving birth.

  3. Nós tivemos que cancelar a viagem.

    We had to cancel the trip.

    Word by Word: We had that to-cancel the trip.

    The combination 'tivemos que' implies the obligation was carried out and the trip was indeed cancelled.

  4. Teve muita gente no show ontem.

    There were many people at the concert yesterday.

    Word by Word: Had many people in the show yesterday.

    This is the informal Brazilian usage of 'teve' as an existential verb (there was/were).

  5. Eles tiveram uma ideia brilhante.

    They had a brilliant idea.

    Word by Word: They had a idea brilliant.

    Describes the moment the idea occurred to them as a completed event.

Common Mistakes

  • Using 'tinha' for specific past events.

    Ontem eu tinha uma dor de cabeça.
    Ontem eu tive uma dor de cabeça.

    If the headache was a specific occurrence yesterday, 'tive' is preferred. 'Tinha' would imply a background state or a habit.

  • Regularizing the conjugation (e.g., 'terei' or 'teri').

    Eu teri um problema.
    Eu tive um problema.

    'Ter' is highly irregular in the preterite. You must use the 'tiv-' stem.

  • Confusing 'teve' (had) with 'tiver' (if I have).

    Se eu teve tempo, eu vou.
    Se eu tiver tempo, eu vou.

    'Teve' is the past indicative (certainty). 'Tiver' is the future subjunctive (uncertainty). Don't mix them up!

How It Connects

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tive/tiveste/teve/tivemos/tiveramLevel 2Pretérito Perfeito De Ter

Learn This First

To learn the irregular preterite of 'ter', you first need to be familiar with the verb's basic meaning in the present tense and understand how regular -ER verbs are conjugated in the past to identify the irregular stem changes in 'tive/teve'.

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