tuve
/too-veh/
I had
Tuve (I had) possession of an object for a completed time.
📝 In Action
El año pasado tuve un coche azul.
A1Last year I had a blue car.
Tuve el pelo muy largo cuando era joven.
A2I had very long hair when I was young.
💡 Grammar Points
A Finished Action in the Past
Tuve is a past tense form of tener (to have). Use it when talking about something you had for a specific, completed amount of time. Think of it as an event: 'Last year, I had a bike.' The having is done.
`Tuve` vs. `Tenía`
Use tuve for finished actions. Use tenía for descriptions or ongoing situations in the past. Tuve un examen (I had an exam - it happened). Tenía un coche rojo (I used to have a red car - describing what you owned).
❌ Common Pitfalls
Using `tenía` for a specific event
Mistake: "Ayer, tenía una reunión importante."
Correction: Ayer, tuve una reunión importante. Because the meeting was a single, completed event yesterday, `tuve` is the right choice.
Tuve (I felt) a strong emotion or experienced a reaction.
📝 In Action
Tuve mucho miedo durante la película.
A2I was very scared during the movie.
Ayer tuve un día excelente.
A2Yesterday I had an excellent day.
Tuve suerte y encontré las llaves.
B1I was lucky and found the keys.
Tuve la gripe la semana pasada.
B1I had the flu last week.
💡 Grammar Points
Using 'Tener' for Feelings
In Spanish, you 'have' feelings like hunger, thirst, or fear. Instead of saying 'I was hungry' with the verb 'ser' or 'estar', you say 'I had hunger' (tuve hambre).
❌ Common Pitfalls
Translating 'I was scared' literally
Mistake: "Yo estuve miedo."
Correction: Yo tuve miedo. Remember the pattern: `tener` + noun for many common feelings and states.
⭐ Usage Tips
Think of 'Receiving' an Experience
You can think of tuve in this sense as 'I received' or 'I got'. Tuve suerte is like 'I got lucky'. Tuve una idea means 'I got an idea'.
Tuve que (I had to) fulfill a past obligation.
📝 In Action
Tuve que salir temprano de la fiesta.
A2I had to leave the party early.
Tuve que estudiar mucho para el examen.
A2I had to study a lot for the exam.
No pude ir porque tuve que cuidar a mi hermano.
B1I couldn't go because I had to take care of my brother.
💡 Grammar Points
The 'Tener que + [Action]' Formula
To say you 'had to do' something, always use the structure tuve que followed by the basic, unconjugated form of the verb (like correr, hablar, escribir).
❌ Common Pitfalls
Forgetting the 'que'
Mistake: "Tuve trabajar todo el día."
Correction: Tuve que trabajar todo el día. The `que` is essential and connects `tuve` to the action you had to do.
⭐ Usage Tips
A Strong Obligation
Tuve que implies a strong, unavoidable necessity in the past. It's more forceful than 'I should have'.
🔄 Conjugations
indicative
present
preterite
imperfect
subjunctive
present
imperfect
✏️ Quick Practice
💡 Quick Quiz: tuve
Question 1 of 2
Which sentence correctly says 'I was lucky and won'?
📚 More Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the difference between `tuve` and `tenía`?
`Tuve` is for finished actions or events in the past. Think of it as something with a clear beginning and end. 'Ayer tuve un examen' (Yesterday I had an exam). `Tenía` is for descriptions, habits, or ongoing situations in the past. 'Cuando era niño, tenía un perro' (When I was a child, I had a dog).
Why is it `tuve` and not `tení`? It doesn't follow the normal pattern.
You're right, it's irregular! `Tener` is one of a handful of very common verbs that have a special, unique pattern in this past tense. You just have to memorize them. Other verbs that follow this 'uv' pattern include `estar` (estuve) and `andar` (anduve).