Ter sono

You use ter sono when you feel the urge to sleep. It's a verb-noun combination, where ter (to have) pairs with sono (sleepiness/sleep). You conjugate ter based on who is feeling sleepy. So, if *you* are sleepy, you say Eu tenho sono. If *he* is sleepy, Ele tem sono. It’s super flexible for anyone feeling drowsy. It's like saying you 'have hunger' (ter fome) or 'have thirst' (ter sede).

Picture yourself scrolling through TikTok late at night. You might text a friend, Não aguento mais, estou com muito sono. (I can't take it anymore, I'm very sleepy.) Or maybe you're watching a movie marathon on Netflix. After the third movie, you yawn and say, Ai, que sono! (Oh, how sleepy!). It fits perfectly when you're just done for the day and need to recharge. It’s the ultimate signal for bedtime.

Use ter sono when you're actually feeling sleepy and want to convey that. It's perfect for winding down after a long day, during a boring meeting (but maybe whisper it!), or when you're just generally feeling tired and ready for bed. It’s also great for planning: Amanhã preciso dormir cedo, já estou com sono só de pensar. (Tomorrow I need to sleep early, I'm already sleepy just thinking about it.) It's your signal that rest is needed.

Don't use ter sono if you're just tired from physical exertion but not sleepy. For example, after a tough workout, you might be exhausted but still wide awake. In that case, estar cansado (to be tired) is better. Also, avoid it if you're feeling sad or bored; while those feelings might *make* you sleepy, ter sono specifically points to the physical need for sleep. It's like trying to order a pizza when you really want sushi – the craving is specific!

A very common slip-up is trying to use estar (to be) with sono. So, you might see someone say estar sono. This sounds a bit off to a native speaker. While estar is used for temporary states, sono here functions more like a noun you 'possess' or 'have'. It’s like saying you 'have cold' (ter frio) instead of 'are cold'.

✗ estar sono

✓ ter sono

Another mistake is confusing sono with dormir (to sleep). Dormir is the verb, the *action* of sleeping. Sono is the *feeling* or *state* of needing sleep. You can't ter dormir (have to sleep); you ter sono (feel sleepy) or querer dormir (want to sleep).

Estar cansado is the most common alternative. It means 'to be tired' in a general sense. You can be tired from work, from a long walk, or from lack of sleep. Estar com sono is almost identical to ter sono, just a slight variation in phrasing, focusing a bit more on the current state. Think of ter sono as the standard, and estar com sono as a close cousin.

Sometimes you'll hear estar com sono instead of ter sono. It means exactly the same thing! Both are perfectly natural. You might also hear dormir que é bom, nada (sleep, that's good, nothing) which is a more humorous, slightly sarcastic way of saying someone is *really* sleepy but not doing anything about it. It's like saying, 'You're so tired, you could fall asleep standing up!'

Is ter sono formal or informal? It's generally neutral to informal. You'd use it with friends, family, and most colleagues. Can I use it in a job interview? Probably not, unless the interviewer asks how you're feeling and you're genuinely about to nod off! It’s best reserved for more relaxed settings. What if I'm just a little tired? You can say um pouco de sono (a little sleepy). It softens the feeling. It's like saying 'a tad sleepy'.