When you're talking about ownership in Portuguese, possuir is a direct and useful verb to know. It means 'to own' or 'to possess'. For example, you might say 'Eu possuo uma casa' to mean 'I own a house.' While often interchangeable with 'ter' (to have) in many contexts, 'possuir' can carry a slightly more formal or emphatic nuance of possession.
Word Family
Nouns
Verbs
Adjectives
Test Yourself 12 questions
Ele ___ uma casa grande no campo. (He ___ a big house in the countryside.)
The verb 'possuir' needs to be conjugated in the third person singular (ele/ela) for the present tense, which is 'possui'.
Nós ___ muitos livros na nossa biblioteca. (We ___ many books in our library.)
For the first person plural 'nós' (we), the correct conjugation of 'possuir' in the present tense is 'possuímos'.
Se você ___ paciência, conseguirá o que quer. (If you ___ patience, you will get what you want.)
In a conditional sentence with 'se' (if), the verb 'possuir' is conjugated in the third person singular present tense when referring to 'você' (you formal/informal singular).
Eles ___ carros de luxo. (They ___ luxury cars.)
For the third person plural 'eles/elas' (they), the correct conjugation of 'possuir' in the present tense is 'possuem'.
Eu ___ apenas algumas moedas no bolso. (I ___ only a few coins in my pocket.)
For the first person singular 'eu' (I), the correct conjugation of 'possuir' in the present tense is 'possuo'.
Para ___ sucesso, é preciso esforço. (To ___ success, effort is needed.)
In this context, 'possuir' is used as an infinitive verb after a preposition ('Para' - To), indicating purpose.
The correct order is Subject (Ele) + Verb (possui) + Object (muitas terras).
The correct order is Subject (Nós) + Verb (possuímos) + Object (uma casa grande).
The correct order is Subject (Eles) + Verb (possuem) + Object (poucos livros).
/ 12 correct
Perfect score!
Example
In context, `possuir` expresses: posséder (to own).
Related Content
More false_friends words
abençoar
A2Primary meaning: bénir (to bless).
aceitar
A2Primary meaning: to accept.
acordar
A2Primary meaning: to wake up.
apelido
A2Primary meaning: nickname.
assistir
A2Primary meaning: to watch, to attend.
atual
A2Primary meaning: actuel, présent (current - true friend).
atualmente
A2Primary meaning: currently, nowadays.
azeite
A2Primary meaning: olive oil.
berro
A2Primary meaning: scream, shout.
bicho
A2Primary meaning: animal (general), dude (slang).
