Portuguese Phrase
Os instrutores têm certificação?
Meaning
The sentence asks whether the instructors possess an official certification. It is a straightforward way to verify the professional qualifications of teachers, coaches, or any kind of trainer.
When to use
Use this question when you need to confirm the credentials of a group of instructors—e.g., before enrolling in a course, hiring a personal trainer, or checking the staff at a language school. It works in both formal and informal settings, though a more formal tone is common in professional contexts.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Osinstrutorestêmcertificação?
Definite article (Os)
‘Os’ is the masculine plural definite article, used before plural nouns like ‘instrutores’.
Noun (instrutores)
‘Instrutores’ is a masculine plural noun meaning ‘instructors’ or ‘trainers’.
Verb agreement (têm)
‘Têm’ is the third‑person plural present of ‘ter’ (to have). It must agree with the plural subject ‘os instrutores’.
Noun (certificação)
‘Certificação’ is a feminine singular noun meaning ‘certification’ or ‘credential’.
Yes‑no question format
Portuguese yes‑no questions can keep the declarative word order; intonation or a question mark signals the question.
🗨In Conversation
Os instrutores têm certificação?
Do the instructors have certification?
Sim, todos eles são certificados pela associação nacional.
Yes, they are all certified by the national association.
✕Common Mistakes
Os instrutores tem certificação?
The verb must agree with the plural subject ‘os instrutores’; use ‘têm’ (plural) instead of ‘tem’ (singular).
Os instrutor têm certificação?
The article and noun must match in number; ‘instrutor’ is singular, so the article should be ‘O’ or the noun should be plural.
Os instrutores têm certificado?
If you want to ask about a specific type of certification, add the adjective (e.g., ‘certificação oficial’). Leaving it generic is fine, but avoid mixing gender, e.g., ‘certificado’ (adjective) instead of the noun ‘certificação’.
↔Alternatives
Os professores são certificados?
Are the teachers certified?
Os instrutores são certificados?
Are the instructors certified?
Os instrutores têm qualificação?
Do the instructors have qualifications?
Cultural Tip
In Brazil, many professions—especially in education, fitness, and technical fields—require formal certification from recognized bodies. When asking about certification, a polite tone (using ‘por favor’ or ‘poderia me informar…’) is appreciated in formal contexts. Regional variations are minimal for this structure, but in the South you may hear a slightly softer ‘têm’ pronounced as /tẽj/.