Language/Spanish/Grammar/Tener
Conjugation
In Spanish, the verb "tener," translating to "to have," plays a crucial role in the language. As an irregular verb, "tener" deviates from the standard conjugation patterns typical of regular verbs, making its mastery essential for Spanish learners. This section provides a detailed breakdown of the conjugation of "tener" across various tenses in the indicative mood, including the present, past (both preterite and imperfect forms), and future tenses.
Understanding the conjugation of "tener" is fundamental not only for expressing possession but also for various other expressions in Spanish, such as indicating age, describing physical sensations or emotional states, and stating obligations or necessities. The irregular nature of "tener" means that its conjugated forms are unique and must be memorized, as they do not follow a predictable pattern like regular verbs.
In the subsequent sections, you will find comprehensive tables and examples that demonstrate the conjugation of "tener" in different grammatical contexts. This will aid in developing a more nuanced understanding of its usage in everyday Spanish, enhancing both your spoken and written skills in the language.
Present Tense - Presente de Indicativo
- yo tengo - I have
- tú tienes - you have (informal)
- él/ella/usted tiene - he/she/you (formal) have
- nosotros/nosotras tenemos - we have
- vosotros/vosotras tenéis - you all have (informal)
- ellos/ellas/ustedes tienen - they/you all (formal) have
Past Tense
a) Preterite Tense - Pretérito Perfecto Simple
- yo tuve - I had
- tú tuviste - you had (informal)
- él/ella/usted tuvo - he/she/you (formal) had
- nosotros/nosotras tuvimos - we had
- vosotros/vosotras tuvisteis - you all had (informal)
- ellos/ellas/ustedes tuvieron - they/you all (formal) had
b) Imperfect Tense - Pretérito Imperfecto
- yo tenía - I used to have, I had
- tú tenías - you used to have, you had (informal)
- él/ella/usted tenía - he/she/you (formal) used to have, had
- nosotros/nosotras teníamos - we used to have, we had
- vosotros/vosotras teníais - you all used to have, you all had (informal)
- ellos/ellas/ustedes tenían - they/you all (formal) used to have, had
Future Tense - Futuro Simple
- yo tendré - I will have
- tú tendrás - you will have (informal)
- él/ella/usted tendrá - he/she/you (formal) will have
- nosotros/nosotras tendremos - we will have
- vosotros/vosotras tendréis - you all will have (informal)
- ellos/ellas/ustedes tendrán - they/you all (formal) will have
Subjunctive Mood
Used for hypothetical situations, wishes, or emotions. The conjugation of "tener" in the subjunctive mood is as follows:
- yo tenga
- tú tengas
- él/ella/usted tenga
- nosotros/nosotras tengamos
- vosotros/vosotras tengáis
- ellos/ellas/ustedes tengan
Imperative Mood
Used for giving commands or requests. The conjugation of "tener" in the imperative mood varies depending on whether the command is affirmative or negative:
- Affirmative (tú): ten
- Negative (tú): no tengas
- Affirmative (usted): tenga
- Negative (usted): no tenga
- Affirmative (nosotros/nosotras): tengamos
- Negative (nosotros/nosotras): no tengamos
- Affirmative (vosotros/vosotras): tened
- Negative (vosotros/vosotras): no tengáis
- Affirmative (ustedes): tengan
- Negative (ustedes): no tengan
Use of the verb "Tener" in Spanish
Use of the verb "Tener" to express feelings or sensations
In English, we use TO BE + ADJECTIVE
:
- Tengo hambre
I'm hungry
It's less common to say:
Estoy hambriento(like in English).
In Spanish we use TENER + NAME
:
- Tengo frío
I'm cold
- Tengo sueño
I'm sleepy
Use of the verb "Tener" to say your age
- In English, they use "to be": I'm 22 (years old).
- In Spanish, we say "Tengo 20 (años)".
Use of the verb "Tener" to express possession
- Tengo una casa
I have a house
Use of the verb tener"Tener" to manifest obligation
- Tengo que estudiar
I have to study
Examples of Use (Phrases)
This section provides practical examples of how "tener" is used in various contexts:
Expressing Feelings or Sensations
- Tengo miedo
- I am scared
- Tengo calor
- I am hot
- Tengo prisa
- I am in a hurry
Indicating Age
- Tengo treinta años
- I am thirty years old
- ¿Cuántos años tienes?
- How old are you?
Expressing Possession
- Tengo un libro interesante
- I have an interesting book
- ¿Tienes un bolígrafo?
- Do you have a pen?
Indicating Obligation
- Tengo que irme ahora
- I have to go now
- Tenemos que terminar el proyecto
- We have to finish the project
Using Subjunctive Mood
- Es importante que tengas paciencia
- It's important that you have patience
- Quiero que tengamos una conversación
- I want us to have a conversation
Using Imperative Mood
- Ten cuidado
- Be careful (informal)
- Tengan éxito
- Be successful (formal/plural)
Complete Quiz
Test your understanding of the verb "tener" with this comprehensive quiz:
- 1. Choose the correct form of "tener" for the following sentence: "Yo _____ dos hermanos."
- a) tengo
- b) tienes
- c) tienen
- 2. Translate to Spanish: "They need to have patience."
- a) Tienen que tener paciencia
- b) Tenemos que tener paciencia
- c) Tengo que tener paciencia
- 3. Fill in the blank with the correct subjunctive form of "tener": "Es necesario que tú _____ cuidado."
- a) tenga
- b) tengas
- c) tengamos
- 4. What is the imperative form of "tener" for an informal command (tú)?
- a) Ten
- b) Tienes
- c) Tenga
- 5. How do you say "I am 25 years old" in Spanish?
- a) Soy 25 años
- b) Tengo 25 años
- c) Estoy 25 años
- Answers
-
- 1. a) tengo
- 2. a) Tienen que tener paciencia
- 3. b) tengas
- 4. a) Ten
- 5. b) Tengo 25 años
Other Lessons
- Sentense Structure
- Conditional Mood
- Por vs Para
- Negation
- Prepositions
- How to conjugate in spanish
- Future Tense
- Use of verb Haber
- Be Polite
- The word that cannot be written