Reflexives, gostar de, tem

Three small structures that behave differently from English and that you need constantly from day one.

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Grammar

1. Reflexive verbs

A reflexive verb takes a pronoun that points back at the subject. English has these too (I hurt myself) but Portuguese uses them far more, including for things English does not mark at all.

The pronoun goes before the verb. Eu **me** chamo, not Eu chamo me.

This is the Brazilian pattern. European Portuguese attaches it after with a hyphen (chamo-me); recognise it in writing, do not copy it.

2. The reflexive verbs you need

chamar-se is how you give your name, and the two ways of saying it are both common:

• Eu **me chamo** João — literally I call myself João
• **Meu nome é** João — literally My name is João

Both are fine. The second is easier and needs no reflexive.

3. gostar de — the backwards-looking verb

You met this in chapter 10. It gets its own section because the preposition is not optional and English speakers drop it every time.

gostar + de + thing/verb

Eu gosto de café. I like coffee. Eu gosto de comer. I like eating.

And de contracts with the article (ch. 06):

Unlike Spanish gustar, Portuguese gostar keeps the normal subject-verb order. Eu gosto — the I is the subject, as in English. Only the preposition is strange.

Intensity:

4. tem — there is / there are

Covered in chapter 04, restated here because it is one of the ten most useful words in the language.

tem = there is / there are. No plural change. No subject.

The formal equivalent is há (ah). You will see it in writing and hear it in news broadcasts. In speech, tem wins.

Past: tinha (TEE-nyah) = there was / there were.

5. doer — the pain verb

doer works backwards from English. The body part is the subject, and you are the object.

doer conjugates with the body part, not with you.

Only two forms exist: dói (doy) singular, doem (DOH-eng) plural.

The alternative, and often easier, construction is estar com dor (ch. 04): Estou com dor de cabeça.

6. Impersonal se

You will see se in signs and instructions with no reflexive meaning — it makes the sentence impersonal, like English one or the passive.

Recognition only. You do not need to produce these — except Como se diz…?, which is essential and appears in chapter 22.

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Examples

Names and introductions

Feeling and remembering

gostar de

tem

doer

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What to take from this chapter

1. Reflexive pronoun goes before the verb: Eu me chamo.
2. gostar always takes de, and de contracts: gosto **do** café.
3. tem = there is / there are. tinha = there was.
4. doer conjugates with the body part: dói or doem.
5. Estou com dor de… is the easier way to report pain.