Inklingo

tendrían

tehn-DRÍ-ahn/tenˈdɾi.an/

tendrían means they would have in Spanish (Possession or experience in a hypothetical situation).

they would have

Also: you (all, formal) would have, they would need to
VerbA2irregular er
A storybook illustration showing two cheerful children, a boy and a girl, standing on a simple green hill. Each child is proudly holding an identical shiny golden star.
infinitivetener
gerundteniendo
past Participletenido

📝 In Action

Si tuvieran más dinero, tendrían una casa más grande.

B1

If they had more money, they would have a bigger house.

Ustedes tendrían que firmar este documento antes de irse.

B2

You all (formal) would have to sign this document before leaving.

Si no comieran, tendrían mucha hambre.

A2

If they didn't eat, they would be very hungry. (Literally: they would have much hunger.)

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • poseerían (they would possess)
  • deberían (they should (obligation))

Common Collocations

  • tendrían que saberthey would have to know
  • tendrían razónthey would be right

🔄 Conjugations

indicative

present

él/ella/ustedtiene
yotengo
tienes
ellos/ellas/ustedestienen
nosotrostenemos
vosotrostenéis

imperfect

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

preterite

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

subjunctive

present

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

imperfect

él/ella/ustedtuviera/tuviese
yotuviera/tuviese
tuvieras/tuvieses
ellos/ellas/ustedestuvieran/tuviesen
nosotrostuviéramos/tuviésemos
vosotrostuvierais/tuvieseis

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: tendrían

Question 1 of 2

Which English phrase best translates 'Ellos tendrían que estudiar'?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family
🎵 Rhymes
vendríansaldrían
📚 Etymology

The base verb 'tener' comes from the Latin word *tenēre*, meaning 'to hold' or 'to grasp.' The conditional form 'tendrían' evolved by combining the irregular stem 'tendr-' with the Latin endings for the imperfect tense.

First recorded: The root verb *tener* has been used since early Romance languages.

Cognates (Related words)

Portuguese: teriamFrench: tiendraient

💡 Master Spanish

Take your Spanish to the next level. Read 200+ illustrated and narrated Spanish stories tailored to your level with the Inklingo app!

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does 'tendrían' sound different from the infinitive 'tener'?

'Tener' is an irregular verb. In the future and conditional tenses (like 'tendrían'), the 'e' is replaced by a 'd' and the 'r' is kept, creating the special stem 'tendr-'. This pattern is common for several high-frequency verbs.

Is 'tendrían' used for 'would be' when talking about age or feelings?

Yes! In Spanish, age ('tener años'), hunger ('tener hambre'), and coldness ('tener frío') are expressed using 'tener' (to have). So, 'tendrían frío' means 'they would be cold'.