Inklingo
Dictionary

tendrán

ten-DRAHNtenˈdɾan

“tendrán” means “they will have” in Spanish (future possession).

they will have, you will haveAlso: they will be, they will need to

VerbA1irregular er
Spain (Vosotros form)
Three cheerful children standing together and looking excitedly at a large, brightly wrapped gift box placed in front of them, symbolizing future possession.
past Participletenido
infinitivetener
gerundteniendo

📝 In Action

Ellos tendrán la reunión a las diez.

A1

They will have the meeting at ten o'clock.

Ustedes tendrán que estudiar mucho para el examen.

A2

You (formal plural) will have to study a lot for the exam.

Cuando lleguen, tendrán mucha sed.

A2

When they arrive, they will be very thirsty (literally: they will have much thirst).

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • poseerán (they will possess (more formal))
  • contarán con (they will count on / they will have available)

Antonyms

  • carecerán de (they will lack)

Common Collocations

  • tendrán éxito – they will be successful
  • tendrán la oportunidad – they will have the opportunity

Subjunctive

Imperfect Subjunctive

yotuviera
tútuvieras
él/ella/ustedtuviera
nosotrostuviéramos
vosotrostuvierais
ellos/ellas/ustedestuvieran

Present Subjunctive

yotenga
tútengas
él/ella/ustedtenga
nosotrostengamos
vosotrostengáis
ellos/ellas/ustedestengan

Indicative

Preterite

yotuve
tútuviste
él/ella/ustedtuvo
nosotrostuvimos
vosotrostuvisteis
ellos/ellas/ustedestuvieron

Imperfect

yotenía
tútenías
él/ella/ustedtenía
nosotrosteníamos
vosotrosteníais
ellos/ellas/ustedestenían

Present

yotengo
tútienes
él/ella/ustedtiene
nosotrostenemos
vosotrostenéis
ellos/ellas/ustedestienen
View All Tenses & Moods →

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: tendrán

Question 1 of 2

Which sentence correctly uses 'tendrán' to express future obligation?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family
tener(to have) — Verb
tenencia(possession, tenure) — Noun
tenedor(holder, fork) — Noun
🎵 Rhymes
vendránsaldrán
📚 Etymology

'Tener' comes directly from the Latin verb *tenēre*, meaning 'to hold, to grasp, to possess.' The future tense form 'tendrán' evolved in Spanish by adding the future endings to a modified stem based on the Latin perfect tense.

First recorded: Old Spanish (around the 10th-12th century)

Cognates (Related words)

Portuguese: terãoFrench: tiendront

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why does the future tense of 'tener' change from 'ten-' to 'tendr-'?

This is a common irregularity in Spanish verbs like 'tener' and 'venir'. The stem changes ('tendr-') to make the word easier to say quickly. You just need to memorize that this special stem is used for both the future ('tendrán') and the conditional ('tendrían').

Can I use 'tendrán' to talk about the present time?

Yes, but only to express probability or conjecture about the present. For example, 'Deben estar cansados, tendrán hambre' means 'They must be tired, they are probably hungry.'