Portuguese Phrase
Meu proprietário tem que cuidar das pragas?
Meaning
The sentence asks whether the landlord is obligated to handle pest control in the rental property. It uses the common ‘tem que + infinitive’ construction to talk about duties.
When to use
Use this question when discussing rental agreements, maintenance responsibilities, or when you need clarification about who should deal with insects, rodents, or other pests in a leased home or apartment.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Meuproprietáriotemquecuidardaspragas?
Possessive adjective (Meu)
‘Meu’ agrees in gender and number with the noun it modifies; here it is masculine singular to match ‘proprietário’.
Noun (proprietário)
Means ‘owner’ or ‘landlord’; masculine singular.
Obligation periphrasis (tem que + infinitive)
‘Tem que’ expresses a duty or necessity, similar to ‘has to’ in English.
Infinitive verb (cuidar)
The verb follows ‘tem que’ in its infinitive form, meaning ‘to take care of’.
Contraction (das)
‘das’ = de + as, used before a feminine plural noun.
Plural noun (pragas)
‘Pragas’ means ‘pests’; it is feminine plural.
🗨In Conversation
Meu proprietário tem que cuidar das pragas?
Does my landlord have to take care of the pests?
Sim, normalmente o contrato diz que o proprietário cuida de pragas estruturais, mas o inquilino deve manter a casa limpa.
Yes, usually the lease states that the landlord handles structural pest issues, but the tenant must keep the house clean.
✕Common Mistakes
Meu proprietário tem cuidar das pragas?
The verb ‘cuidar’ must be preceded by ‘que’; ‘tem cuidar’ is ungrammatical.
Meu proprietário tem que cuidar das praga?
‘Praga’ is singular; the sentence refers to multiple pests, so use the plural ‘pragas’.
Meu proprietário tem que cuidar de pragas?
While understandable, the contraction ‘das’ (de + as) is the natural way before a feminine plural noun.
↔Alternatives
O meu senhorio deve cuidar das pragas?
Should my landlord take care of the pests?
É responsabilidade do proprietário lidar com as pragas?
Is it the landlord's responsibility to deal with the pests?
Quem tem que cuidar das pragas, eu ou o proprietário?
Who has to take care of the pests, me or the landlord?
Cultural Tip
In Brazil, the division of maintenance duties is usually spelled out in the lease. Landlords are generally responsible for structural problems and infestations that arise from building defects, while tenants are expected to keep the space clean to prevent pests. Always check the contract and, if needed, ask for a written clarification to avoid disputes.