Houve

Houve is a verb form in Portuguese, specifically the third-person singular pretérito perfeito simples (preterite) of the verb haver. In modern usage, haver often functions as an impersonal existential verb, meaning “to exist” or “to occur” without a concrete subject. Therefore, houve is used to indicate that something existed or that an event took place in the past, as in “Houve uma tempestade ontem” (There was a storm yesterday).

Usage and nuances: Houve is common in formal or written Portuguese and in journalistic or historical contexts, where the focus is on the occurrence rather than on a person performing an action. It contrasts with the present tense há, which means “there is/there are.” In everyday Brazilian Portuguese, speakers frequently use teve or teve de to express past occurrences in place of houve, as in “Teve uma tempestade ontem” (There was a storm yesterday). Both forms are understood, but houve preserves a more impersonal and literary tone.

Conjugation notes: Haver is irregular. In addition to houve, the verb has other common forms: há (present), havia (imperfect), haverá (future), haja (present subjunctive), houver (future subjunctive), and houvesse (imperfect subjunctive). As an auxiliary for compound tenses, haver is still known but often replaced by ter in everyday Brazilian Portuguese, especially in spoken language.

Etymology: Haver derives from Latin habēre, with related forms in other Romance languages (for example, Spanish haber). The form houve preserves older phonology and is typical of the historical evolution of the imperfect and perfect tenses in Portuguese.