teníamos
“teníamos” means “we had” in Spanish. It has 3 different meanings depending on context:
we had, we used to have
📝 In Action
Cuando éramos niños, teníamos un perro llamado Fido.
A2When we were kids, we had a dog named Fido.
Antes teníamos más tiempo libre para jugar.
A2Before, we used to have more free time to play.
we were
Also: we felt
📝 In Action
En 2010, teníamos veinte años.
A2In 2010, we were twenty years old.
No desayunamos, así que teníamos mucha hambre.
A2We didn't eat breakfast, so we were very hungry.
Teníamos miedo de la oscuridad.
A2We were afraid of the dark.
we had to
📝 In Action
Teníamos que estudiar mucho para el examen.
A2We had to study a lot for the exam.
Cada día, teníamos que levantarnos a las seis de la mañana.
B1Every day, we had to get up at six in the morning.
🔄 Conjugations
indicative
present
imperfect
preterite
subjunctive
present
imperfect
✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: teníamos
Question 1 of 1
Which sentence correctly uses 'teníamos' to describe a background situation in a story?
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family▼
🎵 Rhymes▼
📚 Etymology▼
Comes from the Latin verb 'tenēre,' which meant 'to hold,' 'to keep,' or 'to possess.' The '-íamos' ending is the standard Latin form for the first-person plural imperfect indicative, which evolved directly into this Spanish form.
First recorded: Forms of 'tener' appear in the earliest Spanish texts, around the 10th century.
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
What's the main difference between 'teníamos' and 'tuvimos'?
Think of it like this: 'teníamos' is for describing a situation or a habit in the past ('We had a small car', 'We used to have meetings on Mondays'). It's like a movie scene's background. 'Tuvimos' is for a specific action or event that started and finished ('We had a meeting yesterday', 'We had a problem and solved it'). It's the main action in the scene.
Why do you say 'teníamos veinte años' for 'we were twenty' instead of using 'ser' or 'estar'?
It's a great question! Spanish uses the verb 'tener' (to have) for age, along with many physical states like hunger, thirst, and cold. You literally 'have' your years. It's a set pattern you just have to memorize, but once you get it, it becomes natural.