Expressing Age with TER

This grammar relies on the verb ter. In English, ter usually means "to have." When talking about age, this meaning stays. You are stating the number of years you have. It is like saying "I have twenty years." This concept applies to people and animals. It also applies to old buildings or trees. Any entity that accumulates time uses ter. You must conjugate ter correctly. It must match the person you mention. The structure is very rigid and predictable. This makes it easy for you to practice. You do not need complex auxiliary verbs here. Just the subject, ter, and the number. It is like a grammar traffic light. Green means use ter for age. Red means stop using ser or estar.

1. 1Start with the subject or person. Use Eu, Você, or a name.
2. 2Add the conjugated form of ter. Use tenho for yourself. Use tem for your friend.
3. 3Place the number of years next. Say vinte or trinta.
4. 4Always finish with the word anos. This means "years" in Portuguese.
5. 5The full formula is: Subject + ter + Number + anos.
6. 6For questions, put Quantos anos at the start. Then add the subject and ter.
7. 7Example question: Quantos anos você tem?
8. 8Example answer: Eu tenho vinte anos.
9. 9Do not skip the word anos. It sounds incomplete without it.
10. 10Native speakers might drop the subject Eu. They just say Tenho trinta anos.

You use this when meeting new people. It is perfect for icebreakers. Use it when filling out official forms. Or when you apply for a new job. Doctors will ask for your age often. You use it to talk about pets. "My dog has five years" sounds right. Use it at birthday parties too. It is the standard way to identify. It works in formal and informal settings. You can use it in a bar. You can use it in court. It is a universal way to count time. Use it when comparing ages of siblings. Use it to describe historical landmarks. "This church has two hundred years." It sounds very natural to native ears.

Do not use ter for birthdays themselves. For the actual celebration, use fazer. "I am turning twenty" is Eu faço vinte. Ter is for the current state. Do not use it for "old" as a quality. If a bread is old, use está. O pão está velho. Do not use it for ancient history. For very long eras, we use different verbs. Avoid it when describing a "new" object. Use ser for "The car is new." O carro é novo. Only use ter for the specific count. Do not use it to say someone is "elderly." That is a description, not a count. Use ser or estar for descriptions. Stick to ter for the actual numbers.

Many learners use the verb ser. They say Eu sou vinte anos. This sounds like you are the number. It is a very common English-speaker trap. Another mistake is using estar. They say Eu estou com vinte. This sounds temporary, like a cold. Always stick to the verb ter. Sometimes people forget the word anos. Saying Eu tenho vinte is okay but casual. In formal writing, always include anos. Yes, even native speakers mess this up sometimes. They might get lazy in quick texts. But you should learn the full way first. Do not confuse tem with têm. Tem is for one person. Têm is for many people. Watch that little accent mark closely. It changes the whole meaning of the sentence.

In English, we use "to be." "I am twenty." This defines your identity as your age. In Portuguese, age is a possession. This is exactly like Spanish tener. If you know Spanish, you are lucky. French uses avoir in the same way. It is a very "Romance language" thing to do. Think of age as something you carry. You don't become the age; you add it. It is like a backpack getting heavier. But in a good, wise way. English is the odd one out here. Most other languages prefer the "possession" logic. Embracing this helps you think in Portuguese. It moves you away from literal translation. This is a huge step for beginners.