# have something done



## pertsa

hi

How would you write in portuguese:
A) I cut my hair (in present tense)
b) I have my hair cut (in present tense) ( as somebody else cut the hair)
c) I had my hair cut (in past tense)
d) I have to cut my hair (in present tense ( as I myself will do the cutting)

muito obrigado gente
pertsa


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## spielenschach

pertsa said:


> hi
> 
> How would you write in portuguese:
> A) I cut my hair (in present tense) – (1) Corto o cabelo
> b) I have my hair cut (in present tense) ( as somebody else cut the hair) – Tenho o cabelo cortado
> c) I had my hair cut (in past tense) – Tinha cortado o cabelo
> d) I have to cut my hair (in present tense ( as I myself will do the cutting) – Tenho de cortar o cabelo
> (1) – meu - not used in this phrase in Portuguese
> muito obrigado gente
> pertsa


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## Vanda

A) I cut my hair (in present tense) - Corto meu cabelo (it doesn't matter if you do it yourself or not)
b) I have my hair cut (in present tense) - Corto meu cabelo (if you want to let it  clear that someone does it for you, add: Corto meu cabelo com o cabelereiro X, or at the hairdresser)
c) I had my hair cut (in past tense)- Cortei meu cabelo (it doesn't matter who did it)
d) I have to cut my hair (in present tense ( as I myself will do the cutting- Tenho que cortar meu cabelo eu mesmo. 


The way above is how most of us say it in Brasil.


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## Outsider

_A) I cut my hair (in present tense)
_"Corto o cabelo" or "Corto (o) meu cabelo".​The latter would typically mean you cut your own hair.

_b) I have my hair cut (in present tense) ( as somebody else cut the hair)_  Your English sounds off here.
"Estou a cortar o cabelo." / "Estou cortando o cabelo."
(I'm having my hair cut.)​This would be the most normal way to say it, but it doesn't necessarily imply that someone else is cutting your hair. If you wish to be perfectly explicit about that, say:

"Estão-me a cortar o cabelo." / "Estão me cortando o cabelo."
(They are cutting my hair.)​_c) I had my hair cut (in past tense)
_"Cortei o cabelo" or "Fui cortar o cabelo". ​_d) I have to cut my hair (in present tense ( as I myself will do the cutting)
_"Tenho de cortar (o) meu cabelo."​This sentence would normally be interpreted as meaning that you will cut your own hair, though that isn't a necessary interpretation. If you want to make it perfectly clear that you will do the cutting, then say:

"Tenho de cortar o cabelo a mim próprio/a."
(I have to cut my own hair.)​


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## avok

Quote:
How would you write in portuguese:
A) I cut my hair (in present tense) – (1) Corto o cabelo
b) I have my hair cut (in present tense) ( as somebody else cut the hair) – *Tenho o cabelo cortado
*c) I had my hair cut (in past tense) – *Tinha cortado o cabelo
*d) I have to cut my hair (in present tense ( as I myself will do the cutting) – Tenho de cortar o cabelo
(1) – m = not used in this phrase in Portuguese
muito obrigado gente
pertsa


*Pode-se dizer "tinha o cabelo cortado?" ou "tenho cortado o cabelo"  tambem? *


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## pertsa

olá
muito obrigado pala suas respostas.
I came to the qonclusion that this frase "to have something done" is non existent in portuguese. And also worth noticing is that nobody suggested passive form for ex. "o cabelo é cortado pelo o cabeleireiro"

pertsa


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## spielenschach

avok said:


> Quote:
> How would you write in portuguese:
> A) I cut my hair (in present tense) – (1) Corto o cabelo
> b) I have my hair cut (in present tense) ( as somebody else cut the hair) – *Tenho o cabelo cortado*
> c) I had my hair cut (in past tense) – *Tinha cortado o cabelo*
> d) I have to cut my hair (in present tense ( as I myself will do the cutting) – Tenho de cortar o cabelo
> (1) – m = not used in this phrase in Portuguese
> muito obrigado gente
> pertsa
> 
> 
> *Pode-se dizer "tinha o cabelo cortado?" ou "tenho cortado o cabelo" tambem? *


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## Outsider

pertsa said:


> I came to the qonclusion that this frase "to have something done" is non existent in portuguese.


Why? It can be translated, can't it?



pertsa said:


> And also worth noticing is that nobody suggested passive form for ex. "o cabelo é cortado pelo o cabeleireiro"


Of course, you never asked...


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## olivinha

Outsider said:


> _b) I have my hair cut (in present tense) ( as somebody else cut the hair)_  Your English sounds off here.
> "Estou a cortar o cabelo." / "Estou cortando o cabelo."


 
Out, 
I think what Pertsa means here is _as* when *somebody else cuts the hair_ (and not I--the subject of the example sentence)_._
For example:
I usually have my hair cut at the shopping mall. (I go to the mall so someone else will cut my hair.)
Normalmente, eu corto o meu cabelo no shopping. (_I usually cut my hair at the mall_. Even though the active voice is used, it is understood that I go to the mall to have my hair cut there)
O



pertsa said:


> olá
> muito obrigado pala suas respostas.
> I came to the qonclusion that this frase "to have something done" is non existent in portuguese. And also worth noticing is that nobody suggested passive form for ex. "o cabelo é cortado pelo o cabeleireiro"
> pertsa


 
Pertsa, in this kind of situation, i.e. _I usually have my hair cut there_, or _I need to have my car fixed_, in Portuguese we say _I usually cut my hair here_ (Normalmente eu corto meu cabelo aqui) or _I need to fix my car_ (Preciso consertar o meu carro). Passive voice is not necessary here (and it is not used) because it is understood that someone else qualified for the job will do it, or else you would specify that you, yourself, are the one performing the job.
So when we say _I usually cut my hair here _(Normalmente eu corto meu cabelo aqui) it means that this is the place I usually come to have my hair cut. 
Now, when it's you cutting your own hair, you have to _emphasize_ that it is _you-_the subject the actual doer of the action. Eu _mesmo_ corto o meu cabelo (I cut my hair _myself_). 
O


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## avok

*"Tinha cortado o cabelo" é possivel mas porque nao utilizamos "tenho cortado o cabelo" ? *


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## MOC

A primeira frase significa que algures no passado o sujeito da frase cortou o cabelo. "Somewhere in the past I (or someone else) cut my hair" ou seja "I had my hair cut".

A segunda significa que nos últimos tempos o sujeito da frase tem vindo a cortar o cabelo ocasionalmente. "I've been cutting my hair", que não só é algo estranho de se dizer, como não corresponde a nenhuma das  frases mencionadas acima.


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## Chriszinho85

pertsa said:


> I came to the qonclusion that this frase "to have something done" is non existent in portuguese.


 I think in some cases the construction “mandar + infinitive” could be used to translate “to have something done.”  O que vocês acham? 

Some examples I found:

Meu pc tinha queimado a placa-mãe e mandei consertar. – _My pc had burned the mother board and I had it fixed._

Mandei fazer uma camiseta especialmente para o evento. – _I had a shirt made especially for the event._


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## olivinha

Chriszinho85 said:


> I think in some cases the construction “mandar + infinitive” could be used to translate “to have something done.” O que vocês acham?
> 
> Some examples I found:
> 
> Meu pc tinha queimado a placa-mãe e mandei consertar. – _My pc had burned the mother board and I had it fixed._
> 
> Mandei fazer uma camiseta especialmente para o evento. – _I had a shirt made especially for the event._


I agree with you, Chirszinho. That's the idea behind "to have something done", except that it does not work with _to have one's hair cut_. 
I usually have my hair cut here. _Normalmente mando cortar meu cabelo aqui_ does not sound natural, it's not something one would say. At least in Brazil, we would just say _I usually cut my hair here_, and nobody would think that you are your own hairdresser. 
Again, if Pertsa was looking for a general way to translate _to have something done_, I think you've nailed it.

O


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## Chriszinho85

Oh okay...I see what you mean.  Thanks Olivinha for the reply.


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## Vanda

pertsa said:


> olá
> And also worth noticing is that nobody suggested passive form for ex. "o cabelo é cortado pelo  cabeleireiro"
> 
> pertsa


 
So you  haven't read my example b above: 
b) I have my hair cut (in present tense) - Corto meu cabelo (if you want to let it clear that someone does it for you, add: Corto meu cabelo com o cabelereiro X, or at the hairdresser)


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## bieq

Hello,

What about "to have surgery done"?

For example:

I'm going to have surgery done on my mole.
I'll have my mole removed/taken off

How would you translate that into Portuguese?

Thanks!

Bieq


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## Du_sud

bieq said:


> a) I'm going to have surgery done on my mole.
> b) I'll have my mole removed/taken off


 
I would say:

a) Vou fazer uma cirurgia para tirar minha/esta pinta/verruga.
b) Vou tirar minha/esta pinta/verruga.

Although the active voice is used in Portuguese, it is clear, at least to a Brazilian, that a surgeon will actually remove the mole.


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## Dona Chicória

Pode-se também dizer:

"Ele sofreu/submeteu-se uma cirurgia" caso em que o sentido fica mais claro.


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## Denis555

avok said:


> Quote:
> How would you write in portuguese:
> A) I cut my hair (in present tense) – (1) Corto o cabelo
> b) I have my hair cut (in present tense) ( as somebody else cut the hair) – *Tenho o cabelo cortado*
> c) I had my hair cut (in past tense) – *Tinha cortado o cabelo*
> d) I have to cut my hair (in present tense ( as I myself will do the cutting) – Tenho de cortar o cabelo
> (1) – m = not used in this phrase in Portuguese
> muito obrigado gente
> pertsa
> 
> 
> *Pode-se dizer "tinha o cabelo cortado?" ou "tenho cortado o cabelo" tambem? *


 
O que acontece aqui é que nas frases com os verbos juntos literalmente você faz a ação embora na verdade manda alguém fazer para você. Já nas frases com os verbos separados a ideia é como em inglês. No entanto, na prática embora que entendida no Brasil, pouco usamos essa construção no Brasil. 
E respondendo à sua pergunta, poderíamos dizer:
1)*Tinha o cabelo cortado* (Teoricamente possível mas não usado no Brasil)
2)*Tinha cortado o cabelo* (A forma mais usada, igual a 1) com a ideia que na verdade outra pessoa fez isso pra você)
3)*Tenho o cabelo cortado* (Possível mas pouco usado no Brasil)
4)*Tenho cortado o cabelo* (MAS aqui o tempo não é igual a 3). Aqui significa "I've been cutting my hair" or "I've been having my hair cut"


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## bieq

Du_sud said:


> I would say:
> 
> a) Vou fazer uma cirurgia para tirar minha/esta pinta/verruga.
> b) Vou tirar minha/esta pinta/verruga.
> Although the active voice is used in Portuguese, it is clear, at least to a Brazilian, that a surgeon will actually remove the mole.


 
Obrigado... Por isso amo o português, porque é como o espanhol 

Bieq


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## Ricardinho

In the examples of getting your hair cut or having surgery, the very context of those examples makes it clear that you will not be doing the cutting(in either case, lol) yourself.    But how can you make it clear that you are going to "have someone else" do it?   What if we were talking about painting your house or cutting the grass of your lawn, which are things that a homeowner can easily do themselves?       Tenho que cortar a grama implies that you're going to do it yourself, wouldn't it?


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## Ricardinho

In the examples of getting your hair cut or having surgery, the very context of those examples makes it clear that you will not be doing the cutting(in either case, lol) yourself.    But how can you make it clear that you are going to "have someone else" do it?   What if we were talking about painting your house or cutting the grass of your lawn, which are things that a homeowner can easily do themselves?       Tenho que cortar a grama implies that you're going to do it yourself, wouldn't it?  I know you could say "tenho que empregar alguem para cortar a grama" but that introduces a detail(that you're going to hire someone to do it) that the English version does not require you to divulge.


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## englishmania

I didn't read what the other people wrote, so this is what I'd say.



pertsa said:


> hi
> 
> How would you write in portuguese:
> A) I cut my hair (in present tense) _Corto o cabelo de 6 em 6 meses. Corto o cabelo na [inserir nome da cabeleireira]. Vou ao cabeleireiro todos os meses._
> 
> b) I have my hair cut (in present tense) ( as somebody else cut the hair)  _Corto o cabelo todos os meses._ (the same; I know what you mean but we use the same expression.. you know, not a lot of people cut their own hair themselves lol - if that's the case,_  Cortei o cabelo a mim própria/Cortei o cabelo em casa, _etc.)
> 
> c) I had my hair cut (in past tense)   _Ontem cortei o cabelo.    - Cortaste o cabelo? - Sim, nota-se? - Sim, está giro._
> 
> d) I have to cut my hair (in present tense ( as I myself will do the cutting)
> If someone else is doing it: _Preciso de cortar o cabelo/Tenho de cortar o cabelo/__O meu cabelo já está a precisar de um corte / Tenho de ir cortar o cabelo/Tenho de ir ao cabeleireiro_
> If you're doing it yourself, you wouldn't say the last two. Again, we don't usually cut our own hair. You need to make it clear it's you..._ Tenho de cortar o cabelo. Amanhã corto-o eu (própria/mesma) em casa._







Ricardinho said:


> In the examples of getting your hair cut or  having surgery, the very context of those examples makes it clear that  you will not be doing the cutting(in either case, lol) yourself.    But  how can you make it clear that you are going to "have someone else" do  it?   What if we were talking about painting your house or cutting the  grass of your lawn, which are things that a homeowner can easily do  themselves?       Tenho que cortar a grama implies that you're going to  do it yourself, wouldn't it?


_
Vou ser operado/a. (NOT Vou operar)
Vou pintar a parede.   O pintor vai lá a casa pintar a parede.
Vou cortar a relva. _


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## Ariel Knightly

Você poderia dizer coisas como:

_Mandei aparar a grama.
Mandei pintar a casa._

Aqui fica claro que sua participação se resumiu à ordem.  Mas é comum dizer que foi você quem fez, mesmo que não tenha sido você. 
_
Nós pintamos a casa no mês passado._ [Não se sabe quem exatamente fez a pintura.]


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## englishmania

Ariel Knightly said:


> Você poderia dizer coisas como:
> 
> _Mandei aparar a grama.
> Mandei pintar a casa._
> 
> Aqui fica claro que sua participação se resumiu à ordem.  Mas é comum dizer que foi você quem fez, mesmo que não tenha sido você.
> _
> Nós pintamos a casa no mês passado._ [Não se sabe quem exatamente fez a pintura.]



Good point.


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## Ricardinho

Ariel Knightly said:


> _Nós pintamos a casa no mês passado._ [Não se sabe quem exatamente fez a pintura.]



Well, technically, in English you could say "we painted the house" with the meaning of "we had a contractor paint it for us" but the only way it will be understood that way automatically is if the person is wealthy and it is therefore assumed they didn't do it themselves...

So then...if _Nós pintamos a casa no mês passado_ doesn't actually confirm who did the painting then in order to say specify that you did do you it yourselves, you have to say _Nós mesmo_?   Does the same ambiguity carry over if you had said _a gente pintou_?  I'm not sure why it wouldn't, just a thought that occurred to me...


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## Ayume

That's right, Ricardinho. If you want to specify that you yourself painted the house, you say: _Eu mesmo pintei a casa_. Or in the case of more than one person: _Nós mesmos pintamos a casa._ 

A gente = nós. "A gente" it's informal, but common.

We usually pay a contractor to do it, unless you know how and want to do it yourself.


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## Nino83

pertsa said:


> I came to the qonclusion that this frase "to have something done" is non  existent in portuguese. And also worth noticing is that nobody  suggested passive form for ex. "o cabelo é cortado pelo o cabeleireiro"



Estou de acuerdo. 
Hoje no forum inglês-francês foi feita a seguinte pergunta por um falante brasileiro: 



> I can't seem to understand what's the difference between these two constructions in the passive voice.
> Je me fais construire une maison.
> Je fais construire une maison.



O português não tem esta estrutura. 

_I'm having my car fixed. Mi faccio riparare la macchina. Je me fais réparer ma voiture. __Me hago reparar el coche._

inglês: have + sth + done 
italiano/francês/espanhol: farsi fare qualcosa/se faire faire quelque chose 

Em português não se pode dizer: _me faço reparar o carro_ mas tem que dizer _reparo o carro_.


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