Introduction
Learning how to say and ask about age is one of the first practical skills for beginners in Brazilian Portuguese. This article explains how to use the verb ter to talk about age, gives clear examples, highlights common mistakes, and offers useful phrases you can use in everyday conversations.
Why Portuguese uses ter for age
In English we use the verb to be to say how old someone is, but in Brazilian Portuguese speakers use the verb ter (to have). Saying Eu tenho 25 anos literally means I have 25 years, and that is how Portuguese expresses age. Understanding this difference helps you avoid errors and sound natural.
Quick grammar: conjugating ter for age
To talk about age you conjugate the verb ter for the subject and follow it with a number and the word anos (years). For beginners, memorize the most common forms:
Eu tenho
Você tem / Tu tens (colloquial; mostly use você in Brazil)
Ele tem / Ela tem
Nós temos
Eles têm / Elas têm
Basic sentence structure
The typical structure to say someone’s age is subject + form of ter + number + anos. Examples for common situations:
Eu tenho 20 anos.
Ele tem 30 anos.
Você tem 18 anos?
Examples for beginners
Here are realistic short phrases you might hear or use in everyday situations like introductions, forms, or casual conversation:
Qual é a sua idade?
Resposta: Eu tenho 22 anos.
Quantos anos você tem?
Resposta: Eu tenho 27 anos.
Minha filha tem 5 anos.
Meu avô tem 80 anos.
Quantos anos ela tem? Ela tem 16 anos.
Questions: how to ask someone’s age
There are two common ways to ask for age in Brazilian Portuguese. Both are appropriate for informal and neutral contexts.
Quantos anos você tem? (How many years do you have?)
Qual é a sua idade? (What is your age?)
Note that Qual é a sua idade is slightly more formal and useful for filling forms or formal conversations. For casual chats, use Quantos anos você tem.
Polite alternatives and contexts
If you want to be polite or if age is sensitive, you can soften the question:
Se não se incomoda em dizer, quantos anos você tem?
Se não for segredo, qual é a sua idade?
These expressions add courtesy and are good for new acquaintances or older people.
Using ter in negative and past forms
You may need to say someone does not have a certain age yet or used to have a different age in the past. Here are simple patterns.
Negative: Subject + não + form of ter + number + anos.
Example: Ele não tem 18 anos. (He is not 18 years old.)
Past (used with ter to indicate age at a past time): Subject + tinha + number + anos.
Example: Quando eu tinha 10 anos, eu morava no Rio. (When I was 10 years old, I lived in Rio.)
More past-tense examples
Quando ela tinha 5 anos, gostava de desenhar.
Quando nós tínhamos 18 anos, viajamos juntos.
Using tinha is the simple and common way to recount ages in stories and personal histories.
Common vocabulary related to age
These words are useful when talking about age or life stages in Brazilian Portuguese.
anos = years
idade = age
anos de idade = years of age (sometimes used for clarity)
criança = child
adolescente = teenager
jovem = young person
adulto / adulta = adult
idoso / idosa = elderly person
Short practical phrases including ter
Tenha em mente these common short phrases you might see on forms, social media, or in conversation:
Idade: ______ (a line on forms asking for age)
Ele tem 2 anos. (Often used when talking about toddlers.)
Tenho 31 anos e trabalho em São Paulo. (Simple personal intro.)
Ela tem 28 anos e estuda medicina. (Describing someone.)
Common mistakes beginners make
Beginners often try to use the verb ser or translate directly from English. Avoid these errors:
Incorrect: Eu sou 20 anos. (Don’t use ser for age.)
Incorrect: Tenho vinte anos velho. (Adjectives for age are not used this way; use anos.)
Correct: Eu tenho 20 anos.
Also be careful with number agreement and accents with têm for plural third person: Eles têm 40 anos. But for learning beginners, writing tem is common and understood in informal contexts.
Tips to remember ter for age
Associate the image of holding years as objects: you have years, so you use ter. Practice with simple sentences about yourself and people you know. Use age-related cues like birthdays to prompt sentences: No meu aniversário, eu tenho 25 anos.
Create flashcards that pair Eu tenho [number] anos with a photo or birthday date. This builds automatic recall of the structure.
Practice exercises for beginners
Try these short tasks to apply what you learned. Say or write the answers in Brazilian Portuguese using ter.
1. Introduce yourself: state your age. Example template: Eu tenho __ anos.
2. Ask a friend their age: use Quantos anos você tem?
3. Describe family ages: Minha mãe tem __ anos. Meu irmão tem __ anos.
4. Tell a short past story: Quando eu tinha 7 anos, eu aprendia a nadar.
Check your answers against model sentences and correct the verb forms.
Real-life situations where you’ll use ter for age
These are common contexts where the verb ter is used to talk about age in Brazil:
Filling out a form that asks Idade or Data de nascimento (you may convert birthdate to age)
Introducing yourself in class or at work
Talking about children, parents, or friends
Answering questions at a café, event, or social gathering
Short dialogues for practice
Dialogue 1 — Meeting someone new:
Oi, tudo bem? Quantos anos você tem?
Eu tenho 24 anos. E você?
Dialogue 2 — Family context:
Quantos anos tem sua filha?
Ela tem 3 anos.
Dialogue 3 — Past memory:
Quando você começou a tocar violão?
Comecei quando tinha 12 anos.
Pronunciation notes
Pronounce tenho like TEN-yoo (approx), tem like TEM, and têm like TAYN (but in casual speech many Brazilians say tem for both singular and plural). Anos is AH-nos, idade is ee-DAH-djee. Hearing native speakers and repeating short phrases helps your rhythm and intonation.
Conclusion
Mastering the verb ter to express age is an essential beginner step in Brazilian Portuguese. Remember the pattern subject + ter + number + anos, the common questions Quantos anos você tem and Qual é a sua idade, and the past form tinha for telling stories. Practice simple sentences, ask polite questions, and review common mistakes to sound natural and confident when talking about age.
