To Be or To Exist: Haver by Fernanda L. Ferreira, Ph.D.
One of the most common verbs in Portuguese (as well as in English) is the verb “to have.” In the previous chapter you learned how to use ter in expressing possession, obligation, or simply existence. The verb haver used to have the same function of ter in many instances, but now it has a more specialized usage. Here is the conjugation of haver:
The Verb Haber
Conjugated |
Verb Tense |
English |
há |
present indicative |
there is/there are |
havia |
imperfect |
there was/there were |
houve |
preterite |
there was/there were |
haverá |
future |
there will be |
tinha havido |
present perfect |
there had been |
haja |
present subjunctive |
there is/are |
houvesse |
imperfect subjunctive |
there was/were |
houver |
future subjunctive |
there will be |
haveria |
conditional |
there would be |
You will probably only use a couple of the forms above initially. The verb does not have the traditional subject pronoun conjugations, and it basically expresses the idea of “there is/there are,” also called the existential use. Third person singular forms are used in both singular and plural contexts, as in the following examples.
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Há muitas pessoas na rua. (There are lots of people in the street.)
Não houve possibilidade de vê-lo. (There was no possibility to see him.)
Haja paciência com aquele menino! ([One should] have patience with that boy!)
The verb is also used as an auxiliary verb in compound verbal phrases, but it is less used nowadays in Brazilian Portuguese. Examples are eu havia feito (I had done), which is normally said with the verb ter in conversational Brazilian Portuguese, as in eu tinha feito (I had done). In some more traditional grammars both verbs are listed as helping verbs in the same compound structures! Here are some more examples with the verb haver:
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Ela havia feito um bolo. (She had made a cake.)
Eles haviam comprado um carro. (They had bought a car.)
The form of the verb following haver is called the past participle. This form also exists in English, such as “done” and “written.” Sometimes both the past and the past participle are the same form: “put.” This might produce confusion for English speakers). But the past participles in Portuguese are very different and will be explained in a later chapter.
