há

There Is/There Are

Foundations

Há is a foundational Portuguese word used to say that something exists (like 'there is' in English) or to talk about how much time has passed (like 'ago').

How It Works

The word há comes from the verb haver. In modern Portuguese, it has two primary jobs:

  • Present Existence: It indicates that something is currently present ('there is' or 'there are'). In Portugal, this is the standard form. In Brazil, while há is used in writing, people often use ter in casual speech. Note that há is invariable; it stays singular even with plural nouns.
  • Time Elapsed: It describes how long ago something happened or how long a state has existed. It translates to 'ago' or 'for [time]'. When describing an ongoing action (e.g., 'I have lived here for...'), Portuguese uses the present tense with há. For actions that were ongoing in the past (e.g., 'I had lived there for two years'), using the present tense há as an invariable time particle (e.g., 'Morava lá há dois anos') is standard in European Portuguese, but prescriptive Brazilian Portuguese grammar requires havia or fazia to agree with the past tense of the main verb.

Alternatives for Time:
- Faz: The verb faz is a grammatically valid alternative for elapsed time. While used in both countries, it is primarily a Brazilian preference, whereas European Portuguese strongly prefers há.
- Tem: In casual Brazilian speech, people frequently use tem for elapsed time (e.g., 'Tem dois anos que moro aqui'). For past ongoing actions, casual Brazilian Portuguese uses tinha (e.g., 'Tinha dois anos que eu morava lá').
- Atrás: Placing atrás after the time period (e.g., 'dois anos atrás') is the most common colloquial way to say 'ago' in Brazil.

Note: Just like há, the verbs faz and tem (and their past forms) are invariable when used for elapsed time (e.g., 'faz dois anos', never 'fazem').

Syntax Note: When the time phrase comes at the beginning of a sentence, you commonly use the conjunction que to link it to the main verb (e.g., 'Há dois anos que moro aqui'), but it is optional (e.g., 'Há dois anos, moro aqui').

Homophone Alert: Learners often confuse há with its homophones:
1. há: Used for existence or past time.
2. a: A preposition used for future time ('daqui a pouco') or physical distance ('a dez metros').
3. à: A contraction of the preposition 'a' and the article 'a', used before feminine nouns.

Examples (6)

  1. Há um livro na mesa.

    There is a book on the table.

    Word by Word: Exists one book on-the table.

    Here, 'há' shows the existence of a single object in the present.

  2. Há muitos problemas aqui.

    There are many problems here.

    Word by Word: Exists many problems here.

    Notice that 'há' remains singular even though 'problemas' is plural. It never changes to 'hão' for existence.

  3. Há cinco anos que moro aqui.

    I have lived here for five years.

    Word by Word: Exists five years that I-live here.

    When the time phrase with 'há' (or 'faz'/'tem') is placed at the beginning of the sentence, the conjunction 'que' is commonly used to link it to the main verb, though it is optional (e.g., 'Há cinco anos, moro aqui').

  4. Vi o filme há duas semanas.

    I saw the movie two weeks ago.

    Word by Word: I-saw the movie exists two weeks.

    When placed before a time expression, 'há' functions like the English word 'ago'.

  5. Faz dois anos que estudo português.

    I have been studying Portuguese for two years.

    Word by Word: Makes two years that I-study Portuguese.

    The verb 'faz' is a grammatically valid alternative to 'há' for elapsed time. It is primarily a Brazilian preference, whereas European Portuguese strongly prefers 'há'.

  6. Tem dois anos que moro aqui.

    I have lived here for two years.

    Word by Word: Has two years that I-live here.

    In casual Brazilian speech, people frequently use 'tem' instead of 'há' or 'faz' to indicate elapsed time.

Common Mistakes

  • Pluralizing 'há' when referring to multiple things.

    Hão muitas pessoas na festa.
    Há muitas pessoas na festa.

    When used for existence, 'há' is impersonal and never changes to a plural form.

  • Confusing 'há' (past/existence) with 'a' (future/distance) or 'à' (contraction).

    Vou viajar há duas horas.
    Vou viajar daqui a duas horas.

    Use 'há' for past time. Use 'a' for future time or distance. Use 'à' only when it is a contraction of 'a + a'.

  • Using 'há' and 'atrás' together (redundancy).

    Há dois anos atrás.
    Há dois anos. / Dois anos atrás.

    Both 'há' and 'atrás' imply the past. Using both is considered a pleonasm (redundancy) and should be avoided in formal writing. However, learners should note that this combination is extremely common in everyday casual speech in both countries.

Words in This Pattern

haver