"Têm moscas nessas sandálias."

Translation: There are flies in those sandals.

[e.cambourn]

Okay, before I break my fist and my computer, can somebody explain the difference between all of these nessas and nisto examples. I look on other sites for explanations and I still don't get it.

[amez16]

Este/esta = this/that - object or person close to the person speaking.
Eg. Este livro, esta caneta

Isto = este coisa/esta coisa

Esse/essa = this/that - object or person close to the person you are speaking to.

Isso = esse coisa/essa coisa

Aquele/aquela = this/that - object or person away from both the person speaking and the person you are speaking to.

Aquilo = aquele coisa/aquela coisa

Deste = de + este
Disso = de + isso
Daquilo = de + aquilo
Etc.

Neste = em + este
Nisto = em + isto
Naquela = em + aquela
Etc.

[taomaverick]

I always translate it=isto ou isso

[Somatic]

How would you say: "There are flies in these sandals." ?

[Paulenrique]

according to Duo: "nestas sandálias".

[scott.arma]

Tem moscas nestas sandalias

[floppyshark]

Is "These sandals have flies" correct? Or is it the same idea but not a correct translation? Also, would "Essas sandálias têm moscas" be correct?

[Paulenrique]

Yes, the same idea but expressed in other words. Your translation is correct (essas sandâlias têm moscas) but the way Duo used tÊm is wrong in that sentence!

[Coayuco]

Thanks for pointing out the error. I was confused because I thought that "têm" meant "they have" and not "there are", but the sentence only made sense with "there are".

[Kajo76]

So "têm" is wrong? Is that the case for every preposition or only for "nessas"? Just before there was this sentence: "Tem moscas naquelas botas"... Here "tem" was used...

[Paulenrique]

It is wrong because "there is/are" is always "tem", never "têm". Actually, it is not related to the rest of the sentence.

[Kajo76]

Thanks!

[dhghinator]

This is wrong. There are flies in these sandals is correct

[jolop17]

Wouldn't that be "Tem moscas NESTAS sandálias"?

[Danmoller]

Indeed, but in Brazil we do confuse "essas" and "estas" and we actually use both meanings for "essas".

So it's ok.

[el-montunero]

And I thought "tem" means "there is", when "têm" would be "(they) have"..?

[gregdois]

Tem = "he/she/it has" and "there is"
(singular). Têm = "they have" and "there are" (plural)
...I think, but maybe one of these helpful native speakers will correct me or explain better.

[Paulenrique]

there is/there are = tem. you/they have = vocês/eles(as) têm.

[gregdois]

Ah, ok. I was thrown by Duo's translation, but I read above you said, "...the way Duo used tÊm is wrong in that sentence!" Now, I understand. I am impressed with how patient and helpful you (and a few others) are in your replies. Muito obrigado

[Paulenrique]

no problem!!=) the process of learning requires much work and time. We all are still learning =)

[el-montunero]

Ok, so duolingo was apparently wrong this time.

[chadmowers]

Is there a difference in pronouncing the "there is" tem and the "he/she/they have" tem?

[Paulenrique]

No, the pronunciation is the same.

[pduby]

Can someone correct me, shouldn't it be "in these sandals", not those. Wouldn't those be "nestes"?

[Paulenrique]

Nestes / nestas / nesses / nessas = in these

Nesses / nessas / naqueles / naquelas = in those.

[farrahmu]

But you put nesses / nestas in both lines... can they mean both?
Prepositions kill me!

[Danmoller]

Well, actually, the preposition is "em" (embedded in the starting "n")

The demonstratives are "este, esse, aquele".

With "em", they turn into: neste, nesse, naquele
With "de", they turn into: desde, desse, daquele

---

• Este is for things near the speaker (this)
• Esse is for things near the listener (that)
• Aquele is for things far from both (that)

In Brazil, "esse" is very very confused with "este" and it gets both meanings, but never the "far" one.

[s8ndie]

How can 'nesses/nessas' be 'in these' and 'in those' ? How does that make any sense?

[e.cambourn]

You say that nessas = in these. Why is it that duo still tells me that I made a mistake?

[AnnaFilipek]

I understand that it's "complicated" in real life, but if Duo keeps separating
este(etc.) = this
and
esse(etc.) = that,
shouldn't it do the same with nestes (these) and nesses (those)? ;)

[AndreRosa2]

I agree with Paulenrique. The problem is that in English we have 2 modes for distance while in Portuguese we have 3. So, in reality, Nessa/Nesse is interchangeable, it can mean both this and that.

Nesta / nestas (closest) = This / these
Nessa / nessas (close) = This or That / these or those
Naquela / naquelas (farther) = That / those

And I don't think Duolingo made this change yet.

[Paulenrique]

Exactly. And we also have the spoken language. When writing, we should pay attention to the correct use of demonstrative pronouns/adjectives, not the same when speaking.

[FrancoB455]

Tem is have? Why is the answer "there are?"

[Davu]

It is common in the spoken language to use "tem" without an explicit subject to replace "há" (there is/are). As others have mentioned, Duolingo's sentence uses the plural "têm" not "tem" which is a mistake if the translation is meant to be "there are".

On the other hand, if a pronoun like "Eles" or "Vocês" has been dropped, "They/You have ..." is the correct translation.