Portuguese Phrase
Quantos convidados tem?
Meaning
A direct way to ask how many guests are expected or present at an event, a party, or a gathering. The sentence uses the verb ‘ter’ in an existential sense, which is common in everyday Brazilian Portuguese.
When to use
Use this question when you’re planning a party, checking the guest list with a host, or simply curious about the number of people invited to a gathering. It’s informal but perfectly natural in conversation.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Quantosconvidadostem
Quantos (question word)
Used to ask about quantity; it agrees in gender and number with the noun that follows (masculine plural here).
convidados (noun)
Masculine plural noun meaning ‘guests’; the article is omitted because the question word already signals the quantity.
tem (ter – 3rd person singular)
Third‑person singular present of ‘ter’; in existential questions it works like ‘there is/are’ even when the noun is plural.
Implicit subject
The subject is understood as ‘there’ or ‘it’, so the verb stays singular (tem) rather than plural (têm).
🗨In Conversation
Quantos convidados tem?
How many guests are there?
Temos vinte convidados.
We have twenty guests.
✕Common Mistakes
Quantas convidados tem?
‘Convidados’ is masculine, so the question word must be ‘Quantos’, not ‘Quantas’.
Quantos convidados têm?
When using ‘ter’ existentially, the verb stays singular (tem). The plural form ‘têm’ would be used if the subject were explicit, e.g., ‘Os convidados têm…’
Quantos convidados tem?
In very formal writing, replace ‘tem’ with ‘há’ for a more standard existential construction.
↔Alternatives
Quantas pessoas vão comparecer?
How many people will attend?
Quantos convidados haverá?
How many guests will there be?
Quantos convidados vão vir?
How many guests are going to come?
Cultural Tip
In Brazil it’s common to ask about the guest count before a party to plan food and space. While ‘tem’ is perfectly acceptable in casual speech, more formal contexts often use ‘há’ (Quantos convidados há?) or the future ‘haverá’. Also, remember that ‘convidados’ refers to invited guests; if you mean any people present, you can use ‘pessoas’.