Existence with há, tem and existe

In brief

To say that something exists or is available, Brazilian Portuguese often uses há, tem, or existe. Há is a neutral choice for both ‘there is’ and ‘there are.’ In everyday speech, tem is very common with the same meaning. Existe puts more emphasis on existence itself and changes to existem with a plural noun.

Form

há + noun (singular or plural); tem + noun (colloquial, singular or plural); existe + singular noun / existem + plural noun.

Usage

• Use há in neutral statements about what is present or available; it does not change for a plural noun.
• Use tem for a natural, conversational ‘there is/are’ in Brazil.
• Use existe or existem when the point is that something exists; match the verb to the noun.

Examples

• Há uma farmácia perto daqui. — There is a pharmacy near here.
• Tem muita gente no ônibus. — There are a lot of people on the bus.
• Existem duas opções. — There are two options.
• Não há vagas hoje. — There are no openings today.

Common mistake

❌ Hão duas opções.

✅ Há duas opções.

Existential há stays singular even when the noun is plural. For a plural form of existir, say existem duas opções.

Remember

In Brazilian conversation, tem is often the easiest way to say ‘there is’ or ‘there are.’ Keep há unchanged with plural nouns.