tenido
“tenido” means “had” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:
had
Also: gotten, received
📝 In Action
He tenido un día muy ocupado.
A2I have had a very busy day.
¿Alguna vez has tenido un perro?
A2Have you ever had a dog?
No habíamos tenido la oportunidad de hablar.
B1We hadn't had the chance to talk.
considered
Also: regarded as, held as
📝 In Action
Es un director tenido por muy exigente.
C1He is a director considered to be very demanding.
Era una científica tenida en alta estima por sus colegas.
C1She was a scientist held in high esteem by her colleagues.
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✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: tenido
Question 1 of 1
Which sentence uses 'tenido' to mean 'considered' or 'regarded as'?
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family▼
📚 Etymology▼
Comes from the Latin word `tenitus`, which was the past participle of the verb `tenēre`, meaning 'to hold, to have, to possess'.
First recorded: 10th century
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
Why doesn't 'tenido' change to 'tenida' in the sentence 'He tenido una idea' if 'idea' is feminine?
Great question! When `tenido` is part of a verb phrase with `haber` (like `he tenido`), its job is just to complete the verb's action. In this role, it's a past participle and it always stays as `tenido`. It only changes to `tenida` when it's acting alone as an adjective to describe a feminine noun, like in the more formal phrase `una idea tenida por genial` (an idea considered brilliant).