Present Subjunctive Forms of the Verb Ter

In Portuguese, we have two main moods. The Indicative mood handles reality. The Subjunctive mood handles the 'what if'. Imagine a bridge between your mind and reality. That bridge is the subjunctive. When you say eu tenho, you are stating a fact. When you say que eu tenha, you are expressing a wish. It always needs a trigger. Most triggers involve the word que. It acts like a green light. It tells the verb to change its shape. Think of it like a grammar traffic light. Green means go subjunctive! Red means stay in the indicative world. This mood is subjective by nature. It reflects your personal perspective. It is not about the truth. It is about the possibility.

1. 1Building this form is quite simple. Follow these three easy steps:
2. 2Start with the present indicative eu form. For the verb ter, that is tenho.
3. 3Remove the final -o from the word. Now you have the stem tenh-.
4. 4Add the subjunctive endings to this stem.
5. 5Here is the breakdown for the endings:
6. 6For eu: add -a (tenha)
7. 7For tu: add -as (tenhas)
8. 8For você/ele/ela: add -a (tenha)
9. 9For nós: add -amos (tenhamos)
10. 10For vós: add -ais (tenhais)
11. 11For vocês/eles/elas: add -am (tenham)
12. 12Yes, the eu and ele forms are identical. Context will tell you who is who. Even native speakers rely on context here. Don't worry about getting confused. It happens to the best of us!

Use this mood for wishes and desires. Imagine you are at a birthday party. You say: Espero que você tenha um ótimo dia! (I hope you have a great day!). The 'hope' triggers the change. Use it for doubts too. If you aren't sure, use tenha. Duvido que ele tenha o livro (I doubt he has the book). It also works for emotions. Sinto muito que você tenha problemas (I'm sorry you have problems).

Think about real-world scenarios. You are in a job interview. You want to sound professional. You might say: Caso a empresa tenha interesse, estou disponível. (If the company has interest, I am available). Or maybe you are ordering food. Quero um prato que não tenha carne. (I want a dish that doesn't have meat). The 'want' makes it a requirement. Requirements often trigger the subjunctive. It shows you are looking for something specific.

Do not use it for certainties. If something is true, stay indicative. Eu sei que ele tem o dinheiro. (I know he has the money). 'Knowing' is a red light for subjunctive. Avoid it with verbs of belief in the positive. Acho que ele tem razão. (I think he is right). However, if you make it negative, things change. Não acho que ele tenha razão. (I don't think he is right). Now it is a doubt!

Also, watch out for the word se (if). In the present, se usually takes the future subjunctive. Se ele tiver tempo... (If he has time...). Many learners mix these up. Tenha is for que. Tiver is for se. Keep them in separate boxes in your head. It will save you a lot of trouble.

Learners often forget the n in the stem. They say teia instead of tenha. Don't do that! It sounds very strange to locals. Always start from the eu form tenho. Another mistake is using indicative after embora (although). Embora is a major subjunctive trigger. Embora ele tenha dinheiro, ele é pão-duro. (Although he has money, he is stingy).

Using the wrong person is common too. Remember that nós ends in -amos. Some people accidentally use -emos. Think of the -a as the signature of this mood. It replaces the usual -e or -o. It’s like a little hat the verb wears. It signals that we are in the 'possibility zone'. If you miss the hat, the meaning changes.

Compare tenha with tiver. Tenha is the present subjunctive. Tiver is the future subjunctive. We use tenha for current wishes. We use tiver for future conditions. Espero que ele tenha tempo agora. (I hope he has time now). Avisarei quando ele tiver tempo. (I will let you know when he has time).

Also, look at haja (from the verb haver). In Brazil, people use tenha for both possession and existence. In Portugal, haja is more common for existence. Espero que tenha/haja comida. (I hope there is food). Using tenha for 'there is' is very colloquial. It’s like wearing jeans to a nice dinner. It’s fine with friends, but maybe not in a formal essay.