A large person gently holds a tiny, smiling figure securely in their open, cupped palms.

tenerte

teh-NEHR-teh

Verbal FormA2irregular (stem-changing and 'go' verb) er

to have you?possession or obligation,to hold you?physical embrace

Also:to keep you?to retain or maintain someone

Quick Reference

infinitivetener

gerundteniendo

past Participletenido

📝 In Action

Quiero tenerte cerca de mí siempre.

I want to have you close to me always.

Es hermoso poder tenerte en mis brazos.

It's beautiful to be able to hold you in my arms.

No podemos permitirnos perderte, necesitamos tenerte aquí.

We can't afford to lose you, we need to keep you here.

Word Connections

Synonyms

abrazarte (to hug you)
poseerte (to possess you)

Antonyms

perderte (to lose you)
soltarte (to let go of you)

Common Collocations

poder tenerte – to be able to have you
querer tenerte – to want to have you

💡 Grammar Points

Infinitive + Pronoun Rule

When a verb is in its base form (the infinitive, like 'tener'), you usually attach the object pronoun ('te') directly to the end, forming one single word.

Placement Option

If you have a helping verb (like 'quiero' or 'voy a'), you have a choice: you can attach the pronoun to the infinitive ('Quiero tenerte') OR place it before the conjugated helping verb ('Te quiero tener'). Both mean the same thing!

❌ Common Pitfalls

Using the Infinitive Alone

Mistake: "Yo tenerte la llave."

Correction: Yo necesito tenerte la llave. (You cannot use the base form 'tener' as the main action verb in a simple sentence; it needs a conjugated verb like 'necesito' or 'voy a' before it.)

⭐ Usage Tips

Emotional Weight

While 'tener' means 'to have,' when used with a person ('tenerte'), it often translates more warmly to 'to hold' or 'to keep close' in romantic or affectionate contexts.

✏️ Quick Practice

💡 Quick Quiz: tenerte

Question 1 of 2

Which sentence correctly uses 'tenerte'?

📚 More Resources

Word Family

tener(to have) - verb

te(you (object pronoun)) - pronoun

contener(to contain) - verb

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is 'tenerte' one word instead of two?

In Spanish, when you use a verb in its base form (the infinitive, like 'tener') or the '-ing' form (the gerund), the small words that act as the direct or indirect receiver of the action must be glued directly onto the end of the verb.

Does 'tenerte' change depending on who is speaking?

No. 'Tenerte' is the base form of the action plus the pronoun. It is the verb that comes before it that changes depending on who is speaking (e.g., 'Yo quiero tenerte' vs. 'Ella quiere tenerte').