tubo
“tubo” means “pipe” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:
pipe, tube
Also: cylinder, duct
📝 In Action
Necesitamos reemplazar el tubo de agua caliente.
A2We need to replace the hot water pipe.
Por favor, pásame el tubo de pegamento.
A1Please pass me the tube of glue.
El niño miraba los peces en el tubo de cristal.
B1The boy watched the fish in the glass tube.
he had, she had
Also: you had (formal), it had
📝 In Action
Ella tuvo que irse temprano.
A1She had to leave early.
Mi hermano tuvo un accidente leve ayer.
A2My brother had a minor accident yesterday.
El director tuvo una reunión importante esta mañana.
B1The director had an important meeting this morning.
🔄 Conjugations
indicative
present
imperfect
preterite
subjunctive
present
imperfect
🔀 Commonly Confused With
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✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: tubo
Question 1 of 2
Which sentence uses 'tubo' as a physical object?
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family▼
📚 Etymology▼
The noun 'tubo' comes directly from the Latin word *tubus*, meaning 'pipe' or 'tube'. The verb form 'tubo' is the result of a strong irregular change in the past tense of the verb *tener* (to have), which comes from the Latin *tenēre* (to hold). These are two words that sound identical but have completely different histories.
First recorded: 13th century (noun meaning)
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
Why do 'tubo' (noun) and 'tuvo' (verb) sound exactly the same?
They sound the same because the letter 'v' and the letter 'b' are pronounced identically (like an English 'b') in most Spanish dialects. While the noun is spelled 'tubo' and the verb form is spelled 'tuvo', context is key to telling them apart.
How can I remember that 'tubo' is the pipe and 'tuvo' is the verb?
A simple trick is to associate the 'b' in 'tubo' with the 'b' in 'boca' (mouth/opening), which a pipe has. The 'v' in 'tuvo' is shared with other irregular past tense verbs like 'estuve' (I was).