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Portuguese Phrase

Tenho uma prova difícil na semana que vem.

/ˈtẽ.ɲu ˈu.ma ˈpɾo.vɐ dʒiˈfi.siw na seˈma.nɐ ki ˈvẽ/
Meaning"I have a difficult test next week."
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Meaning

I have a difficult test next week. The sentence conveys that the speaker is facing a challenging exam that will take place during the upcoming week.

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When to use

Use this phrase when you want to tell a friend, teacher, or colleague about an upcoming exam that you consider hard, especially in a school or university context.

✦Grammar Breakdown

Tenhoumaprovadifícilnasemanaquevem

1

Ter (presente do indicativo)

‘Tenho’ is the first‑person singular present of the verb ‘ter’, meaning ‘to have’.

2

Indefinite article agreement

‘uma’ agrees in gender and number with the feminine noun ‘prova’.

3

Adjective position

In Portuguese, descriptive adjectives like ‘difícil’ usually follow the noun they modify.

4

Preposition + article contraction

‘na’ is the contraction of ‘em + a’, meaning ‘in the/at the’.

5

Relative clause ‘que vem’

‘que vem’ literally means ‘that comes’, used here to indicate a future time (next week).

🗨In Conversation

A

Você tem alguma prova importante?

Do you have any important test?

Tenho uma prova difícil na semana que vem.

I have a difficult test next week.

B

✕Common Mistakes

  • Tenho um prova difícil na semana que vem.

    ‘Prova’ is feminine, so the article must be ‘uma’, not ‘um’.

  • Tenho uma prova difícilmente na semana que vem.

    ‘Difícilmente’ means ‘hardly’; the correct adjective is ‘difícil’.

  • Tenho uma prova difícil semana que vem.

    While correct, learners sometimes drop the article and say ‘semana que vem’, which sounds unnatural.

↔Alternatives

  • Tenho um exame complicado na próxima semana.

    I have a complicated exam next week.

  • Vou fazer uma prova difícil na semana que vem.

    I'm going to take a difficult test next week.

  • Tenho uma avaliação difícil na semana que vem.

    I have a difficult assessment next week.

pt

Cultural Tip

In Brazil, ‘prova’ is the most common word for a school or university test, while ‘exame’ is often used for larger, formal assessments (e.g., medical or certification exams). Saying ‘na semana que vem’ is a natural way to refer to the upcoming week; you can also say ‘na próxima semana’, which is slightly more formal.