The Verb 'Tener': Possession and More

The Verb 'Tener' (To Have)

In Spanish, tener is a super-useful verb that most often means 'to have,' just like in English. We use it to talk about things we possess.

'Tener' is an irregular verb, which means its forms don't follow the normal pattern. You just have to memorize them! Here are the present tense forms:

• yo tengo - I have
• tú tienes - you (informal) have
• él/ella/usted tiene - he/she/you (formal) have
• nosotros/nosotras tenemos - we have
• vosotros/vosotras tenéis - you all (informal, Spain) have
• ellos/ellas/ustedes tienen - they/you all have

For example: Yo tengo un perro. (I have a dog.) Ella tiene un coche rojo. (She has a red car.)

Other Key Uses for 'Tener'

Besides possession, Spanish uses tener for some very common expressions where English uses 'to be':

• To talk about age: ¿Cuántos años tienes? (How old are you?) - literally 'How many years do you have?'
• To describe feelings or states:
  • tener hambre - to be hungry
  • tener sed - to be thirsty
  • tener frío - to be cold
  • tener calor - to be hot
  • tener sueño - to be sleepy

Something you might see...

As you read more, you will often see 'tener que' + [another verb]. This combination means 'to have to do something.'

Example: Tengo que estudiar. (I have to study.)

Don't worry about mastering this yet! Just know that when you see 'tener que,' it's talking about an obligation.