Language/Catalan/Grammar/How-to-Use-Have

Catalan Grammar - How to Use "Have"

Hi Catalan learners! 😊

In this lesson, we'll be learning how to use the verb "tenir" (have) in Catalan grammar. "Tenir" is a very important verb that is used in many situations. It is similar to the English verb "have," but there are some differences in how it is used. By the end of this lesson, you'll be able to use "tenir" with ease!

Finish this lesson and explore these related pages: How to Use Be & Reflexive verbs.

Introduction

First of all, let's have a look at the conjugation of "tenir" in the present tense:

Person	Catalan Pronunciation	English
jo	tinc /tik/	I have	tu	tens /tɛns/	you have (singular informal)	ell/ella/vostè	té /te/	he/she/you has (formal singular)	nosaltres	tenim /təˈnim/	we have	vosaltres	teniu /təˈniw/	you have (plural informal)	ells/elles/vostès	tenen /ˈtɛ.neb/	they/you have (formal plural)

Notice that the forms of "tenir" are quite different from the corresponding forms of "have" in English. For example, in the third person singular, we say "té" instead of "has."

In addition to the present tense, "tenir" can also be used in other tenses such as the past tense, future tense, and conditional tense. We'll cover these in more detail later in the lesson.

Using "Tenir"

"Tenir" is used in a similar way to the English verb "have," but there are some differences. Here are some of the most common uses of "tenir":

Possessions

One of the most common uses of "tenir" is to indicate possession. For example:

• Jo tinc un cotxe. (I have a car.)
• Tu tens una casa molt bonica. (You have a very beautiful house.)
• Ell té un gos. (He has a dog.)

In these examples, "tenir" is used to indicate that the subject possesses something (a car, a house, a dog, etc.). Note that in Catalan, we use the indefinite article ("un," "una") even when English doesn't use it.

Age

Another common use of "tenir" is to indicate age. For example:

• Quants anys tens? (How old are you?)
• Tinc vint anys. (I am twenty years old.)

In these examples, "tenir" is used to ask about or indicate the age of the subject. Note that "anys" (years) is used to indicate age in Catalan.

Physical Sensations

"Tenir" can also be used to indicate physical sensations such as hunger, thirst, and cold. For example:

• Tinc gana. (I am hungry.)
• Tens fred? (Are you cold?)
• Ell té set. (He is thirsty.)

In these examples, "tenir" is used to indicate that the subject is experiencing a physical sensation.

Idiomatic Expressions

Finally, "tenir" is used in many idiomatic expressions in Catalan. Here are a few examples:

• Tenir sort. (To be lucky.)
• Tenir pressa. (To be in a hurry.)
• Tenir un encert. (To be right about something.)

In these examples, "tenir" is not used to indicate possession, age, or physical sensations. Instead, it is part of an idiomatic expression that has a specific meaning.

Conjugation of "Tenir"

As we mentioned earlier, "tenir" is conjugated differently from the corresponding verb "have" in English. Here are some examples of "tenir" in different tenses:

Present Tense

As we saw earlier, here is the present tense conjugation of "tenir":

Person	Catalan Pronunciation	English
jo	tinc /tik/	I have	tu	tens /tɛns/	you have (singular informal)	ell/ella/vostè	té /te/	he/she/you has (formal singular)	nosaltres	tenim /təˈnim/	we have	vosaltres	teniu /təˈniw/	you have (plural informal)	ells/elles/vostès	tenen /ˈtɛ.neb/	they/you have (formal plural)

Imperfect Tense

The imperfect tense is used to describe past actions that were ongoing or repeated. Here is the imperfect tense conjugation of "tenir":

Person	Catalan Pronunciation	English
jo	tenia /təˈni.ə/	I had	tu	tenies /təˈni.əs/	you had (singular informal)	ell/ella/vostè	tenia /təˈni.ə/	he/she/you had (formal singular)	nosaltres	teníem /təˈni.jəm/	we had	vosaltres	teníeu /təˈni.əw/	you had (plural informal)	ells/elles/vostès	tenien /təˈni.jən/	they/you had (formal plural)

Future Tense

The future tense is used to describe actions that will happen in the future. Here is the future tense conjugation of "tenir":

Person	Catalan Pronunciation	English
jo	tindrà /tɪnˈdra/	I will have	tu	tindràs /tɪnˈdras/	you will have (singular informal)	ell/ella/vostè	tindrà /tɪnˈdra/	he/she/you will have (formal singular)	nosaltres	tindrem /tɪnˈdrɛm/	we will have	vosaltres	tindreu /tɪnˈdrɛw/	you will have (plural informal)	ells/elles/vostès	tindran /tɪnˈdran/	they/you will have (formal plural)

Conditional Tense

The conditional tense is used to describe actions that would happen in hypothetical situations. Here is the conditional tense conjugation of "tenir":

Person	Catalan Pronunciation	English
jo	tindria /tɪnˈdɾia/	I would have	tu	tindries /tɪnˈdɾiəs/	you would have (singular informal)	ell/ella/vostè	tindria /tɪnˈdɾia/	he/she/you would have (formal singular)	nosaltres	tindríem /tɪnˈdɾiəm/	we would have	vosaltres	tindríeu /tɪnˈdriəw/	you would have (plural informal)	ells/elles/vostès	tindrien /tɪnˈdɾiən/	they/you would have (formal plural)

Example Dialogue

Here's an example dialogue to help you see how "tenir" is used in context:

• Person 1: Hola! Com estàs? (Hi! How are you?
• Person 2: Hola! Estic bé, gràcies. Tu? (Hi! I'm fine, thanks. You?)
• Person 1: També estic bé, gràcies. Quants anys tens? (I'm also fine, thanks. How old are you?)
• Person 2: Tinc vint-i-un anys. (I'm twenty-one years old.)

In this example, "tenir" is used to ask about and indicate age.

Conclusion

In this lesson, we've learned how to use the verb "tenir" in different situations such as possession, age, physical sensations, and idiomatic expressions. We've also looked at the conjugation of "tenir" in various tenses like present, imperfect, future, and conditional. To improve your Catalan Grammar, you can also use the Polyglot Club website. Find native speakers and ask them any questions!

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➡ If you have any questions, please ask them in the comments section below.
➡ Feel free to edit this wiki page if you think it can be improved. 😎

Finished this lesson? Check out these related lessons: Subjunctive mood & Irregular Verbs.

Other Lessons

• How to use "can" in Catalan
• Verb to be with names and places
• Instrumental Case in Catalan
• Ablative Case in Catalan
• Interrogative Words in Catalan
• Gender
• Plurals
• Pronouns
• Plural
• Nominative Case in Catalan

Sources

• Catalan grammar - Wikipedia
• Catalan Tutorial: Basic Catalan Phrases, Vocabulary, and Grammar
• Catalan language - Wikipedia

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