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How to Say ‘I have to go around’ in Portuguese

Tenho de dar a volta

TEN-yoo duh dar ah VOL-tuh

[TEN-yoo duh dar ah VOL-tuh]

💬 Usage Tip: In Portugal, "have to" is ter de + verb: tenho de pagar "I have to pay". dar a volta literally "give the turn" means to go around.

Phrase Breakdown

Tenho de

TEN-yoo duh

I have to

'Tenho' sounds like 'TAY-nyu', with 'nh' like 'ny'. In Portugal, 'tenho de' is the standard way to say 'I have to'.

Example

Tenho de ir.

I have to go.

Words in this phrase

Tenho

[TEN-yoo]

I have

First person singular of 'ter'; used to form compound expressions about recent experience.

Example

Tenho tentado dormir mais cedo.

I have been trying to sleep earlier.

[duh]

to (in 'have to')

Ter de means 'to have to'; de links it to the next verb.

Example

Tenho de sair já.

I have to leave now.

dar a volta

dar ah VOL-tuh

go around

'Dar a volta' means to go around or turn around. 'Dar a' links together as 'da-ra'.

Example

Vamos dar a volta.

Let's go around.

Words in this phrase

dar

[dar]

to give / to do

Dar a volta means to go around.

Example

Vamos dar um passeio.

Let's go for a walk.

[ah]

the (feminine singular)

Same article "a" used before a feminine noun; often unstressed in speech.

Example

A estação é ali à direita.

The station is right there on the right.

volta

[VOL-tuh]

turn / loop

A round trip or circuit; dar a volta is to go around something.

Example

Demos uma volta pela cidade.

We went around the city.

Guides for Portuguese learners

The Portuguese You Actually Need in Your First Month in PortugalThe European Portuguese phrases for your first weeks in Portugal: paperwork, renting a flat, the bank, the health centre, cafés, trains and your new neighbours.

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