A child standing in a field with an open, expectant hand, looking up at a bright red toy car floating just above their palm, symbolizing future possession.

tendré

/ten-DRE/

VerbA2irregular er

I will have?possession, states

Also:I will be?used with age or feelings like hunger, thirst, fear,I will have to?expressing obligation, when followed by 'que'

Quick Reference

infinitivetener

gerundteniendo

past Participletenido

📝 In Action

Mañana tendré más tiempo para ayudarte.

Tomorrow I will have more time to help you.

El próximo mes tendré 25 años.

Next month I will be 25 years old.

Tendré que comprar leche en el supermercado.

I will have to buy milk at the supermarket.

Cuando llegue, ya tendré la cena lista.

When you arrive, I will already have dinner ready.

Word Connections

Antonyms

careceré (I will lack)
me faltará (I will be missing/lacking)

Common Collocations

tendré que + infinitivo – I will have to + verb
tendré en cuenta – I will keep in mind
tendré cuidado – I will be careful
tendré la oportunidad – I will have the opportunity

Idioms & Expressions

tendré la sartén por el mango – I will be in control; I will have the upper hand.

💡 Grammar Points

Talking About the Future: 'I will...'

'Tendré' is the 'yo' (I) form for talking about the future. It means 'I will have.' Unlike English, you don't need a separate word for 'will'; it's built right into the verb's ending '-é'.

The Irregular Stem of 'Tener'

'Tendré' comes from the verb 'tener' (to have). Notice how the middle of the word changes from 'ten-' to 'tendr-'. This is a special change that happens for all future forms of 'tener' (tendrás, tendrá, etc.).

❌ Common Pitfalls

Using the Wrong Verb for Age

Mistake: "Incorrect: 'El próximo año, seré 30 años.'"

Correction: Correct: 'El próximo año, tendré 30 años.' In Spanish, you *have* years, you don't *be* them. Always use 'tener' for age, hunger, thirst, and other physical states.

⭐ Usage Tips

How to Say 'I Will Have To...'

To express an obligation in the future, just add 'que' after 'tendré' and then the action you have to do. Example: 'Tendré que ir al banco' means 'I will have to go to the bank.'

🔄 Conjugations

indicative

present

yotengo

tútienes

él/ella/ustedtiene

nosotrostenemos

vosotrostenéis

ellos/ellas/ustedestienen

preterite

yotuve

tútuviste

él/ella/ustedtuvo

nosotrostuvimos

vosotrostuvisteis

ellos/ellas/ustedestuvieron

imperfect

yotenía

tútenías

él/ella/ustedtenía

nosotrosteníamos

vosotrosteníais

ellos/ellas/ustedestenían

subjunctive

present

yotenga

tútengas

él/ella/ustedtenga

nosotrostengamos

vosotrostengáis

ellos/ellas/ustedestengan

imperfect

yotuviera

tútuvieras

él/ella/ustedtuviera

nosotrostuviéramos

vosotrostuvierais

ellos/ellas/ustedestuvieran

View All Tenses & Moods →

✏️ Quick Practice

💡 Quick Quiz: tendré

Question 1 of 2

Which sentence correctly uses 'tendré' to talk about an obligation?

📚 More Resources

Word Family

tener(to have) - verb

tenencia(possession, ownership) - noun

mantener(to maintain) - verb

sostener(to sustain, to hold) - verb

contener(to contain) - verb

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is it 'tendré' and not 'teneré'?

Great question! 'Tener' is an irregular verb. For the future tense, a few common verbs change their stem before adding the future endings. 'Tener' changes to 'tendr-', 'poner' changes to 'pondr-', and 'salir' changes to 'saldr-'. You just have to memorize these few special cases.

Can I also say 'voy a tener' instead of 'tendré'?

Yes, absolutely! Both 'tendré' (future tense) and 'voy a tener' (informal future) mean 'I am going to have' or 'I will have.' In everyday conversation, 'voy a tener' is extremely common. 'Tendré' can sound a bit more formal or be used for promises and predictions further in the future.