Ter Fome, Ter Sede, and Ter Sono: Talk About Needs in Portuguese — Practice

Use ter in common expressions for physical needs

English speakers often say “I am hungry,” but Brazilian Portuguese commonly says tenho fome (I have hunger). The same pattern appears in ter sede (be thirsty) and ter sono (be sleepy). Conjugate ter for the person: eu tenho, você tem, a gente tem, nós temos.

You may also hear estar com fome, sede, or sono. Both patterns are used; learn ter expressions as reliable chunks and notice the form your conversation partner chooses.

Use other ter phrases for feelings and urgency

The pattern also appears in ter medo (be afraid), ter pressa (be in a hurry), and ter vontade de + infinitive (feel like doing something). These are common combinations, but not every English “to be” phrase translates with ter; for emotions such as being sad, Portuguese usually uses estar triste.

Remember: Learn frequent combinations such as ter fome, ter sede, and ter sono as complete phrases. Check the Portuguese expression instead of translating every English ‘be’ sentence with one verb.

Check your understanding

Choose the English meaning of each Portuguese example. Answer before looking back at the tables. These questions check the written examples in this guide; they are not a listening or proficiency test.

Recall the Portuguese, then say it

Read the English prompt and say a Portuguese version before opening the answer. The answer shows the example from the lesson; other natural translations may also work. Compare the meaning and the situation rather than counting a different word as automatically wrong.

1. I’m hungry. Shall we have lunch?

   Show a Portuguese answer

   Estou com fome. Vamos almoçar?

2. We’re thirsty after the walk.

   Show a Portuguese answer

   A gente está com sede depois da caminhada.

3. I’m sleepy, so I’m going to bed early.

   Show a Portuguese answer

   Estou com sono, então vou dormir cedo.

4. I’m in a hurry, but I can wait five minutes.

   Show a Portuguese answer

   Tenho pressa, mas posso esperar cinco minutos.

5. Do you feel like having a coffee?

   Show a Portuguese answer

   Você tem vontade de tomar um café?

6. She is afraid of heights.

   Show a Portuguese answer

   Ela tem medo de altura.

Make the phrase useful to you

Choose one example you could actually use. Say it once from memory, then change one detail that fits your life, such as the person, place, time, or object. Check whether your change also needs a different verb form, article, or adjective ending. If it does, compare it with the pattern in the explanation.

Learn frequent combinations such as ter fome, ter sede, and ter sono as complete phrases. Check the Portuguese expression instead of translating every English ‘be’ sentence with one verb.

Return to two prompts tomorrow without opening the answers first. If a phrase still feels difficult, shorten it to a useful chunk and build the complete sentence again.

Sources and your next lesson

This I Speak Portuguese practice guide builds on our Ter Fome, Ter Sede, and Ter Sono: Talk About Needs in Portuguese lesson on Real Life Portuguese, with written recall tasks and additional speaking practice. The explanations and examples are teaching material; the practice questions are exercises, not a transcript of a recording.

To add Brazilian audio to your routine, choose a lesson in the Real Life Portuguese app. The app offers its own lessons and practice; this page does not imply that every example here has an app recording.