A happy child is sitting on green grass, actively holding the string of a bright red balloon.

teniendo

teh-NYEN-doh

VerbA1irregular er

having?as part of a continuous verb phrase (e.g., I am having)

Also:holding?in the process of holding something,experiencing?in the process of feeling or going through something

Quick Reference

infinitivetener

gerundteniendo

past Participletenido

📝 In Action

Estamos teniendo mucha suerte en este viaje.

We are having a lot of luck on this trip.

Ella dijo que estaba teniendo un poco de frío.

She said she was feeling a little cold (literally: was having a little cold).

El director no pudo asistir porque estaba teniendo una reunión urgente.

The director couldn't attend because he was having an urgent meeting.

Word Connections

Synonyms

poseyendo (possessing (more formal))
obteniendo (obtaining/getting)

Common Collocations

estar teniendo problemas – to be having problems
sigues teniendo – you are still having

💡 Grammar Points

Forming Continuous Actions

Teniendo is the 'gerund' (the -ing form) of 'tener'. To show that the action of having/experiencing is happening right now, you pair it with the verb 'estar': estar + teniendo.

Irregular Gerund

Most Spanish verbs change the ending to -ando or -iendo. 'Tener' is irregular because it keeps the vowel 'e' from its stem, leading to 'teniendo' instead of the expected (but incorrect) 'tiniendo'.

❌ Common Pitfalls

Using 'Teniendo' for Permanent Possession

Mistake: "Estoy teniendo dos coches."

Correction: Tengo dos coches. (Use the simple present tense (tengo) for things you own permanently, not the continuous form.)

Mispronouncing the 'ie' combination

Mistake: "/teh-nee-en-doh/"

Correction: The combination 'ie' acts as a single sound cluster (a diphthong). Practice saying /teh-NYEN-doh/ as a quick, smooth glide.

⭐ Usage Tips

When to Use the Continuous Form

You will often hear estar teniendo when talking about temporary situations, experiences, or sensations, such as Estoy teniendo miedo (I am feeling fear) or Estamos teniendo éxito (We are having success).

🔄 Conjugations

indicative

present

él/ella/ustedtiene

yotengo

tútienes

ellos/ellas/ustedestienen

nosotrostenemos

vosotrostenéis

imperfect

él/ella/ustedtenía

yotenía

tútenías

ellos/ellas/ustedestenían

nosotrosteníamos

vosotrosteníais

preterite

él/ella/ustedtuvo

yotuve

tútuviste

ellos/ellas/ustedestuvieron

nosotrostuvimos

vosotrostuvisteis

subjunctive

present

él/ella/ustedtenga

yotenga

tútengas

ellos/ellas/ustedestengan

nosotrostengamos

vosotrostengáis

imperfect

él/ella/ustedtuviera

yotuviera

tútuvieras

ellos/ellas/ustedestuvieran

nosotrostuviéramos

vosotrostuvierais

View All Tenses & Moods →

✏️ Quick Practice

💡 Quick Quiz: teniendo

Question 1 of 1

Which sentence correctly uses 'teniendo' to describe an action happening right now?

📚 More Resources

Word Family

tener(to have) - verb

tenedor(fork (literally: holder)) - noun

contenido(content, held within) - noun/adjective

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between 'tengo' and 'estoy teniendo'?

'Tengo' (I have) is the simple present tense and is used for facts, permanent possessions, age, and feelings. 'Estoy teniendo' (I am having/experiencing) is the continuous tense and is only used for temporary actions that are in progress right now, like a meeting or a temporary bout of bad luck.

Can I use 'teniendo' by itself?

Rarely. 'Teniendo' is almost always attached to another verb (like *estar*, *seguir*, or *andar*) to form a continuous action. It can sometimes appear at the start of a sentence acting like 'Since I have' or 'Having done X...', but this is a more formal, literary usage.