As a learner, you’ve probably tried to say something like “I have done the shopping” only to be told that “tenho feito as compras” is wrong. Or perhaps you’re working yourself through a B1/B2 Portuguese course and come across sentences like:
Tenho estudado muito ultimamente.
Temos saído com os amigos aos fins de semana.
Tens dormido bem?
These aren’t your standard past tense sentences: they use a compound tense called the Pretérito Perfeito Composto. But what does it mean, when do we use it, and how is it different from the regular past tense?
Let’s break it down in a clear, practical way – and by the end of this post, you’ll be ready to use this tense like a pro!
🧠 What Is the Pretérito Perfeito Composto?
The Pretérito Perfeito Composto is a compound tense used to talk about actions that started in the past and are still happening or have been happening repeatedly since.
In English, we often use the Present Perfect Continuous for this:
I’ve been working a lot. → Tenho trabalhado muito.
She’s been reading every day. → Ela tem lido todos os dias.
So even though it’s technically a “past” tense in Portuguese, it describes ongoing or repeated actions that relate to the present.
🛠️ How Do You Form It?
It’s actually simple to form:
ter (in the present tense) + past participle
Conjugation of ter:
| Person | Ter (present) |
|---|---|
| Eu | tenho |
| Tu | tens |
| Ele/Ela | tem |
| Nós | temos |
| Vocês/Eles | têm |