LinguaTener: the verb you use fifty times a day
Tener means to have. It is irregular in two ways at once: the yo form grows a g (tengo), and the e of the stem becomes ie in tienes, tiene, tienen. Only tenemos and tenéis keep the plain stem of the infinitive. You met tengo/tienes with pets; here is the whole verb.
| Person | Form of tener | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| yo | tengo | I have |
| tú | tienes | you have |
| él, ella, usted | tiene | he, she has; you have (formal) |
| nosotros, nosotras | tenemos | we have |
| vosotros, vosotras | tenéis | you all have (Spain) |
| ellos, ellas, ustedes | tienen | they have; you all have |
Age and possession: tengo veinte años
Spanish does not be an age, it has years: Tengo veinte años. ¿Cuántos años tienes? Possession is the other big job: tengo un coche, tenemos dos hijos, ¿tienes hermanos? In questions like that last one the article is often dropped: ¿Tienes coche?
Hunger, thirst, cold: feelings you have
Where English says I am hungry, Spanish says I have hunger: tengo hambre. The same pattern gives tengo sed, frío, calor, sueño, miedo, prisa and tengo razón (I am right). Because the second word is a noun, you make it stronger with mucho / mucha, never with muy: tengo mucha hambre, tengo mucho frío.
| Expression | Meaning | Stronger |
|---|---|---|
| tener hambre | to be hungry | mucha hambre |
| tener sed | to be thirsty | mucha sed |
| tener frío | to be cold | mucho frío |
| tener calor | to be hot | mucho calor |
| tener sueño | to be sleepy | mucho sueño |
| tener miedo | to be afraid | mucho miedo |
| tener prisa | to be in a hurry | mucha prisa |
| tener razón | to be right | toda la razón |
Tener que + infinitive: what you have to do
Tener que + infinitive says what someone has to do: Tengo que estudiar. Only tener changes; que and the infinitive never do: tienes que trabajar, tenemos que salir. With no it means do not have to: no tengo que trabajar mañana. In a question, just lift the voice: ¿Tienes que salir ya?
Tengo mucha hambre, pero no tengo tiempo para comer.I am very hungry, but I do not have time to eat.
¿Tienes prisa? – Sí, tengo que estar en casa a las ocho.Are you in a hurry? – Yes, I have to be home at eight.
Words in this lesson
| Word | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| tener | to have | Mis abuelos tienen una casa grande. My grandparents have a big house. |
| tener hambre | to be hungry | Los niños tienen hambre. The children are hungry. |
| tener sed | to be thirsty | Tengo sed, ¿hay agua? I am thirsty, is there any water? |
| tener frío | to be cold (a person) | Mi hermana siempre tiene frío. My sister is always cold. |
| tener calor | to be hot (a person) | En agosto tenemos mucho calor. In August we are very hot. |
| tener sueño | to be sleepy | Es tarde y tengo sueño. It is late and I am sleepy. |
| tener miedo | to be afraid | Mi primo tiene miedo de los perros. My cousin is afraid of dogs. |
| tener prisa | to be in a hurry | Perdón, tengo prisa. Sorry, I am in a hurry. |
| tener que | to have to | Tienes que hablar con tu madre. You have to talk to your mother. |
| tener razón | to be right | Tu abuela tiene razón. Your grandmother is right. |
| el tiempo | time | Hoy no tenemos tiempo. Today we do not have time. |
Exercises
This lesson has 10 exercises in the app:
- multiple choice: 3
- match the pairs: 1
- fill the gap: 2
- build the sentence: 1
- translate the sentence: 2
- listen and type: 1
Try the first one
Which form of tener goes with tú?
The answer, the other exercises, the audio and your progress are in the app – free at A0 and A1.