This guide is designed to take you beyond the basic definition. We'll dive deep into the essential uses of tener that are crucial for everyday conversation, focusing on the areas where English logic clashes with Spanish. By the end, you'll master how to correctly talk about your age, express physical sensations like hunger and cold, and state obligations—all with the confidence of a native speaker.
Mi papá tiene mucho dinero
The Four Pillars of Tener
Think of tener as having four fundamental jobs in Spanish. Understanding these will revolutionize how you speak.
Possession: To own or have something. (The one you already know!)
Age: To state how old you are.
Physical States & Feelings: To describe sensations like being hungry, thirsty, or cold.
Obligation: To express that you "have to" do something.
Let's break each one down.
1. Possession: "To Have"
This is the most straightforward use and works just like in English. It's used to show ownership or that you possess something.
Examples:
Tengo un carro nuevo. (I have a new car.)
¿Tienes dinero? (Do you have money?)
Mi hermana tiene el pelo largo. (My sister has long hair.)
Nosotros tenemos clases por la mañana. (We have classes in the morning.)
Mi papá tiene mucho dinero. (My father has a lot of money.)
2. Age: You Have Years, You Aren't Years
This is the first and most important conceptual shift you need to make. In English, you are an age, using the verb "to be."
"I am 30 years old."
In Spanish, this is always incorrect. The logic is that you have years of life. Therefore, you must always use tener.
The Formula: Tener + [number] + años
Let's see the common mistake and the correct form:
Incorrect: ❌ Soy 30 años.
Correct: ✅ Tengo 30 años.
This logic extends to asking someone's age. You don't ask "How old are you?" but rather "How many years do you have?"
¿Cuántos años tienes? (How many years do you have?)
Ella tiene 25 años. (She is 25 years old.)
Mis abuelos tienen 80 años. (My grandparents are 80 years old.)
Everyday Life Example: Imagine you're at a party in Nicaragua. Someone asks you, “¿Cuántos años tenés?” (They use vos here instead of tú). You can confidently reply, “Tengo 28 años, ¿y vos?”
3. Physical States & Feelings: The Tener Expressions
This is another area where English speakers ofte+ trip up. For many common physical sensations and feelings, English uses "to be + [adjective]" (I am hungry). Spanish uses "tener + [noun]" (I have hunger).
Mastering these idiomatic expressions will instantly make you sound more fluent.
| English Expression (to be + adjective) | Spanish Expression (tener + noun) | Example Sentence |
| To be hungry | Tener hambre | 🍽️ Tengo mucha hambre, ¿ya está la cena? (I'm very hungry, is dinner ready?) |
| To be thirsty | Tener sed | 🥤 Después de correr, siempre tengo sed. (After running, I'm always thirsty.) |
| To be cold | Tener frío | ❄️ Cierra la ventana, por favor. Tengo frío. (Close the window, please. I'm cold.) |
| To be hot | Tener calor | ☀️ En Managua en mayo, todo el mundo tiene calor. (In Managua in May, everyone is hot.) |
| To be sleepy | Tener sueño | 😴 Son las 11 de la noche, el niño tiene sueño. (It's 11 PM, the child is sleepy.) |
| To be afraid (of) | Tener miedo (de) | 🕷️ Tengo miedo de las arañas. (I'm afraid of spiders.) |
| To be in a hurry | Tener prisa | ⏰ Lo siento, no puedo hablar. Tengo prisa. (Sorry, I can't talk. I'm in a hurry.) |
| To be right | Tener razón | ✅ Tú tienes razón, me equivoqué. (You are right, I was wrong.) |
| To be lucky | Tener suerte | 🍀 ¡Ganaste la lotería! Qué suerte tienes. (You won the lottery! You are so lucky.) |
| To be careful | Tener cuidado | ⚠️ Ten cuidado al cruzar la calle. (Be careful when you cross the street.) |
| To feel like | Tener ganas de + [verb] | 🎬 Tengo ganas de ver una película esta noche. (I feel like watching a movie tonight.) |
| To be ashamed | Tener vergüenza | 😳 Tengo vergüenza de hablar en público. (I'm embarrassed to speak in public.) |
4. Obligation: Tener que + Verb
To express obligation or necessity, like "I have to" or "I must," Spanish uses a simple and powerful formula.
The Formula: Tener + que + [infinitive verb]
The word que is essential and cannot be left out.
Incorrect: ❌ Tengo estudiar.
Correct: ✅ Tengo que estudiar.
Everyday Life Examples:
Tengo que ir al supermercado. (I have to go to the supermarket.)
Ella tiene que trabajar mañana. (She has to work tomorrow.)
Tenemos que llamar a nuestros padres. (We have to call our parents.)
Conjugating Tener: The Nuts and Bolts
Tener is an irregular verb, which means its forms don't always follow the standard patterns. Below are the conjugations in the most common tenses, presented in mobile-friendly charts.
⚡ 👉CLICK TO KNOW THE STEM CHANGES OF IRREGULAR VERBS
Present Indicative (El Presente)
Used for actions happening now, routines, and general truths.
| Pronoun | Conjugation | Translation |
| Yo | tengo | I have |
| Tú | tienes | You have (informal) |
| Él / Ella / Usted | tiene | He / She / You (formal) have |
| Nosotros/as | tenemos | We have |
| Vosotros/as | tenéis | You all have (Spain) |
| Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes | tienen | They / You all have |
Preterite (El Pretérito)
Used for completed actions in the past. The stem changes to tuv-.
| Pronoun | Conjugation | Translation |
| Yo | tuve | I had |
| Tú | tuviste | You had |
| Él / Ella / Usted | tuvo | He / She / You (formal) had |
| Nosotros/as | tuvimos | We had |
| Vosotros/as | tuvisteis | You all had (Spain) |
| Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes | tuvieron | They / You all had |
Example: Ayer tuve que trabajar hasta tarde. (Yesterday I had to work late.)
Imperfect (El Imperfecto)
Used for ongoing or habitual actions in the past, descriptions, and setting the scene. This tense is regular!
| Pronoun | Conjugation | Translation |
| Yo | tenía | I used to have / I had |
| Tú | tenías | You used to have / You had |
| Él / Ella / Usted | tenía | He / She / You (formal) used to have |
| Nosotros/as | teníamos | We used to have / We had |
| Vosotros/as | teníais | You all used to have (Spain) |
| Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes | tenían | They / You all used to have |
Example: Cuando era niño, tenía un perro. (When I was a child, I had a dog.)
Future (El Futuro)
Used to talk about what "will" happen. The stem changes to tendr-.
| Pronoun | Conjugation | Translation |
| Yo | tendré | I will have |
| Tú | tendrás | You will have |
| Él / Ella / Usted | tendrá | He / She / You (formal) will have |
| Nosotros/as | tendremos | We will have |
| Vosotros/as | tendréis | You all will have (Spain) |
| Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes | tendrán | They / You all will have |
Example: Mañana tendremos una reunión importante. (Tomorrow we will have an important meeting.)
Putting It All Together: More Sentence Examples
Negative Sentences
Simply add no before the verb.
Yo no tengo tiempo hoy. (I don’t have time today.)
Ella no tiene miedo. (She is not afraid.)
Nosotros no tenemos clases los domingos. (We don’t have classes on Sundays.)
Interrogative Sentences (Questions)
The structure is flexible, but often the verb comes before the subject.
¿Tienes una idea para el proyecto? (Do you have an idea for the project?)
¿Tienen ellos suficiente dinero? (Do they have enough money?)
¿Por qué tienes tanta prisa? (Why are you in such a hurry?)
Time to Practice!
Test your knowledge with these quick exercises.
1. Fill in the blanks with the correct present-tense conjugation of tener.
Yo ______ un gato negro.
Ellos ______ mucha tarea hoy.
¿Tú ______ frío?
2. Translate these sentences into Spanish.
I am 40 years old.
She is thirsty.
We have to leave now.
Answers:
1. tengo, tienen, tienes
2. Tengo 40 años., Ella tiene sed., Tenemos que salir ahora.
Conclusion
Mastering tener is a fundamental step toward speaking Spanish fluently and naturally. While it begins with simple possession, its true power lies in expressing age, feelings, and obligations. By moving past direct English translations and embracing Spanish logic, you will significantly improve your conversational skills. Remember the four pillars—possession, age, feelings, and obligation—and practice them daily. Before you know it, using tener correctly will become second nature.
No comments:
Post a Comment