Tener (to have)
Learn Spanish: Conjugating The Spanish Verb Tener (to have)
In this learn Spanish grammar lesson, we go over the Spanish verb "Tener," which means to have. However, the verb tener is often used to form many common phrases and idioms in Spanish.
Conjugating the Present Tense of Tener:
| Yo |
tengo |
I have |
| Tú |
tienes |
You have |
| Usted |
tiene |
You have |
| Él/Ella |
tiene |
He/She has |
| Nosotros/as |
tenemos |
We have |
| Vosotros |
teneis |
You (all) have |
Ustedes
|
tienen |
You (all) have |
| Ellos/Ellas |
tienen |
They have |
In Spanish, use the verb tener:
1) To express age
| ¿Cuántos años tienes? |
How old are you? |
| Tengo veintidos años. |
I am 22 years old |
2) To indicate possession
| Tengo una casa en California. |
I have a house in California. |
| Tengo cuatro hermanas. |
I have four sisters. |
3) To indicate obligations
In order to express an obligation, use tener + que + infinitive
| Tengo que estudiar mucho. |
I have to study a lot. |
| ¡Tienes que prestar atención! |
You have to pay attention! |
4) To express sensations
In order to express a sensation, use tener + noun. Here are some examples:
| Tener calor (to be hot) |
Tengo calor. |
I am hot. |
| Tener frio (to be cold) |
Tienes frío. |
You are cold. |
| Tener hambre (to be hungry) |
Él tiene hambre. |
He's hungry. |
| Tener sed (to be thirsty) |
Tenemos sed. |
We're thirsty. |
| Tener miedo (to be scared) |
Ellos tienen miedo. |
They're scared. |
| Tener suerte (to be lucky) |
Tengo mucha suerte. |
I am very lucky. |
To see more ways to use Tener to express sensations, click here.
Tener ganas de
In Spanish, to express that you "feel like" doing something, use:
Tener + ganas + de + infinitive
| Tengo ganas de dormir. |
I feel like sleeping. |
| ¿Tienes ganas de comer? |
Do you feel like eating? |
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