tenemos
“tenemos” means “we have” in Spanish. It has 3 different meanings depending on context:
we have
Also: we've got
📝 In Action
Tenemos una casa con un jardín grande.
A1We have a house with a big garden.
No tenemos coche, preferimos caminar.
A1We don't have a car, we prefer to walk.
Tenemos dos hijos y un perro.
A1We have two children and a dog.
we have to
Also: we must
📝 In Action
Tenemos que irnos ahora o perderemos el tren.
A1We have to leave now or we will miss the train.
Mañana tenemos que levantarnos temprano.
A2Tomorrow we have to get up early.
Tenemos que hablar sobre el plan.
B1We have to talk about the plan.
we are
📝 In Action
Tenemos mucha sed después de correr.
A1We are very thirsty after running.
Son las 11 de la noche y tenemos sueño.
A1It's 11 at night and we are sleepy.
Tenemos miedo de las arañas.
A2We are afraid of spiders.
Creemos que tenemos razón en este asunto.
B1We believe that we are right in this matter.
🔄 Conjugations
indicative
present
imperfect
preterite
subjunctive
present
imperfect
Translate to Spanish
✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: tenemos
Question 1 of 3
Which sentence correctly says 'We are hungry' in Spanish?
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family▼
📚 Etymology▼
Comes from the Latin verb 'tenēre', which meant 'to hold', 'to keep', or 'to possess'. The meaning has remained very similar over thousands of years.
First recorded: Found in the earliest written Spanish texts, around the 10th century.
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
Why is 'tenemos' used for so many different things like possession, feelings, and obligation?
Think of the core idea of 'tener' as 'to hold' or 'to possess'. You can 'hold' a book (possession), you can 'hold' a responsibility (obligation with 'que'), and you can 'hold' a feeling like hunger or cold. It's a very flexible verb that extends this core idea to many situations.
What's the difference between 'tenemos' and 'hemos'?
'Tenemos' means 'we have' in the sense of possessing something ('Tenemos un coche' - We have a car). 'Hemos' is a helper verb from 'haber' used to talk about things 'we have done' ('Hemos comido' - We have eaten). So, 'tenemos' is for things, and 'hemos' is for actions.
Do I always need to say 'nosotros tenemos'?
No, you usually don't need to! The '-emos' ending on 'tenemos' already tells the listener that you mean 'we'. You can just say 'Tenemos hambre'. You would only add 'nosotros' for emphasis or to be extra clear, like 'Ellos tienen frío, pero nosotros tenemos calor' (They are cold, but we are hot).