tenías
“tenías” means “you had” in Spanish. It has 3 different meanings depending on context:
you had
Also: you used to have
📝 In Action
Cuando eras niño, tenías muchos juguetes.
A2When you were a child, you had a lot of toys.
Me dijiste que tenías una idea brillante para el proyecto.
B1You told me you had a brilliant idea for the project.
Antes tenías el pelo más largo, ¿verdad?
A2You used to have longer hair before, right?
you were
Also: you felt / you were feeling
📝 In Action
En esa foto, tenías solo cinco años.
A1In that photo, you were only five years old.
Siempre tenías frío en la casa de tu abuela.
A2You were always cold at your grandmother's house.
Recuerdo que tenías mucho miedo de la oscuridad.
A2I remember that you were very afraid of the dark.
you had to
📝 In Action
Tenías que terminar la tarea antes de salir.
A2You had to finish the homework before going out.
¿Por qué no viniste? ¿Tenías que trabajar?
B1Why didn't you come? Did you have to work?
🔄 Conjugations
indicative
present
imperfect
preterite
subjunctive
present
imperfect
✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: tenías
Question 1 of 1
Which sentence correctly uses 'tenías' to describe a past situation?
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family▼
🎵 Rhymes▼
📚 Etymology▼
'Tenías' comes from the verb 'tener', which grew out of the Latin word 'tenēre'. 'Tenēre' meant 'to hold, to keep, to possess'. Over time, it kept its core meaning of 'having' things while also picking up all the extra jobs it does in Spanish today, like talking about age and feelings.
First recorded: 10th century (as 'tener')
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
What's the difference between 'tenías' and 'tuviste'?
Great question! Both mean 'you had', but they talk about the past in different ways. Use 'tenías' for descriptions, ongoing situations, or repeated actions in the past (what you 'used to have' or 'were having'). Use 'tuviste' for specific, completed actions that happened at a single point in time (what you 'had' or 'got' at that moment). For example: 'Cuando eras niño, tenías una bici roja.' (When you were a kid, you had a red bike - ongoing situation). 'Ayer, tuviste una carta.' (Yesterday, you got a letter - single event).