tienen

/tyeh-nen/

they have

Three happy cartoon children standing next to a shiny new toy wagon they possess.

Visualizing possession: The group of figures clearly has ownership over the object shown.

tienen(Verb)

A1irregular er

they have?possession,you have?plural, formal or informal (Latin America)

Also:they own?ownership,they possess?more formal

📝 In Action

Ellos tienen un coche nuevo.

They have a new car.

Ustedes tienen dos hijos, ¿verdad?

You (all) have two children, right?

Mis vecinos tienen un perro muy ruidoso.

My neighbors have a very noisy dog.

Word Connections

Synonyms

poseen (they possess)

Antonyms

carecen (they lack)

Common Collocations

tienen mucho dinero – they have a lot of money
tienen una casa grande – they have a big house
tienen problemas – they have problems

💡 Grammar Points

Who are 'they' or 'you'?

'Tienen' is the form for 'ellos' (a group of men, or mixed), 'ellas' (a group of women), and 'ustedes' (you all). In Spain, 'ustedes' is formal, but in Latin America, it's used for both formal and informal 'you all'.

❌ Common Pitfalls

Using 'Haber' for Possession

Mistake: "Mis amigos han un perro."

Correction: Use 'tener' for possession. Say 'Mis amigos tienen un perro.' The verb 'haber' (like 'han') is usually for building other verb tenses, not for saying you own something.

Three cartoon figures of slightly varying heights standing together under a rising sun symbolizing the years they possess.

Representing age: The figures stand together, symbolizing the accumulated years they possess (tienen X años).

tienen(Verb)

A1irregular er

they are?expressing age, e.g., 'they are 20 years old',you are?plural, expressing age

📝 In Action

Mis hermanos tienen veinte y veintidós años.

My brothers are twenty and twenty-two years old.

Los gemelos tienen la misma edad.

The twins are the same age.

Word Connections

Idioms & Expressions

tener X años – to be X years old

❌ Common Pitfalls

Using 'Ser' for Age

Mistake: "Ellos son 30 años."

Correction: A classic mistake for English speakers! In Spanish, you 'have' years, you don't 'are' them. Always use 'tener' for age: 'Ellos tienen 30 años.'

⭐ Usage Tips

The Magic Formula for Age

Just remember the simple pattern: a form of 'Tener' + [number] + 'años'. It always works for talking about how old someone is.

Three cartoon children rubbing their empty stomachs looking hungry.

Depicting sensation: The group physically demonstrates having hunger (tienen hambre).

tienen(Verb)

A1irregular er

they are?sensations like hunger, thirst, cold,you are?plural, sensations like hunger, thirst, cold

Also:they feel?e.g., they feel sleepy

📝 In Action

Los niños tienen hambre.

The children are hungry.

Si tienen frío, pueden cerrar la ventana.

If you (all) are cold, you can close the window.

Mis padres siempre tienen sueño después de comer.

My parents are always sleepy after eating.

Ellos tienen miedo de la oscuridad.

They are afraid of the dark.

Word Connections

Common Collocations

tienen hambre – they are hungry
tienen sed – they are thirsty
tienen frío – they are cold
tienen calor – they are hot
tienen sueño – they are sleepy
tienen miedo – they are afraid
tienen prisa – they are in a hurry

❌ Common Pitfalls

Using 'Estar' for Sensations

Mistake: "Ellos están hambre."

Correction: For common feelings like hunger, thirst, fear, or being hot/cold, Spanish uses 'tener'. Think of it like 'they have hunger'. The correct way is 'Ellos tienen hambre.'

⭐ Usage Tips

Learn Them as Chunks

It's easiest to memorize these as complete phrases: 'tener hambre', 'tener sed', 'tener frío', etc. Don't try to translate them word-for-word from English.

Three cartoon students being gently pulled toward a large open book by a thick rope, symbolizing obligation.

Illustrating obligation: The figures are shown being compelled to approach the task, representing 'they have to' (tienen que).

tienen(Verb Phrase)

A2irregular er

they have to?obligation, necessity,you have to?plural, obligation, necessity

Also:they must?strong obligation

📝 In Action

Tienen que estudiar para el examen.

They have to study for the exam.

Ustedes tienen que salir ahora.

You (all) have to leave now.

Los jugadores tienen que entrenar todos los días.

The players have to train every day.

Word Connections

Synonyms

deben (they must/should)

Common Collocations

tienen que irse – they have to go
tienen que hacer la tarea – they have to do the homework
tienen que decidir – they have to decide

💡 Grammar Points

The 'Tener que' Formula

This is a super useful structure. Just add 'que' after 'tienen' and then follow it with the basic form of a verb, like 'correr' (to run) or 'comer' (to eat).

❌ Common Pitfalls

Forgetting 'que'

Mistake: "Ellos tienen estudiar más."

Correction: You always need the little word 'que' to connect 'tienen' to the action. It should be 'Ellos tienen que estudiar más.'

🔄 Conjugations

indicative

present

yotengo

tútienes

él/ella/ustedtiene

nosotrostenemos

vosotrostenéis

ellos/ellas/ustedestienen

preterite

yotuve

tútuviste

él/ella/ustedtuvo

nosotrostuvimos

vosotrostuvisteis

ellos/ellas/ustedestuvieron

imperfect

yotenía

tútenías

él/ella/ustedtenía

nosotrosteníamos

vosotrosteníais

ellos/ellas/ustedestenían

subjunctive

present

yotenga

tútengas

él/ella/ustedtenga

nosotrostengamos

vosotrostengáis

ellos/ellas/ustedestengan

imperfect

yotuviera

tútuvieras

él/ella/ustedtuviera

nosotrostuviéramos

vosotrostuvierais

ellos/ellas/ustedestuvieran

View All Tenses & Moods →

✏️ Quick Practice

💡 Quick Quiz: tienen

Question 1 of 3

Which sentence correctly uses a form of 'tener' to talk about age?

📚 More Resources

Word Family

tener(to have) - verb

tenencia(possession, ownership) - noun

tenedor(holder, owner (also fork)) - noun

mantener(to maintain, to keep) - verb

contener(to contain) - verb

obtener(to obtain, to get) - verb

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does 'tienen' mean both 'they have' and 'they are'?

Great question! It doesn't mean 'they are' in every situation, only in specific cases that you can memorize. Think of 'tener' as meaning 'to possess' or 'to hold'. So, in Spanish, you 'possess years' (for age), you 'hold hunger' (for being hungry), and you 'hold coldness' (for being cold). It's a different way of thinking about these states compared to English.

What's the difference between 'tienen' and 'han'?

This is a common point of confusion. Use 'tienen' when you're talking about possession ('They have a car'). Use 'han' as a helper verb to form more complex tenses, like 'They have eaten' ('Ellos han comido'). So, if 'have' is the main action, use 'tienen'. If it's helping another verb, use 'han'.

When do I use 'tienen' vs 'tenéis'?

'Tienen' is for 'ellos/ellas/ustedes' (they/you all). 'Tenéis' is for 'vosotros/vosotras' (you all, informal). 'Vosotros' is used almost exclusively in Spain. In Latin America and for formal situations in Spain, you'll always use 'tienen' for 'you all'.