The Verb 'Tener': A Complete Guide to Possession and More

Table of Contents

• First Things First: Conjugating 'Tener' (Present Tense)
• The 4 Key Uses of 'Tener'
  • 1. Possession: "To Have"
  • 2. Age: "To Be ... Years Old"
  • 3. Obligations: "Tener que + Infinitive"
  • 4. Idiomatic Expressions: The Real Fun!
• You've Got This!

If there's one verb you'll meet on day one of your Spanish journey and use every single day after, it's tener. On the surface, it seems simple—it means "to have," right? Well, yes... but it's also a multi-talented superstar of the Spanish language, used for everything from saying your age to explaining that you're in a hurry.

Ready to unlock its secrets? In this complete guide, we'll break down the verb tener, from its basic conjugation to the essential expressions that will make you sound more like a native speaker.

First Things First: Conjugating 'Tener' (Present Tense)

Before we can use it, we need to know how to form it. Tener is an irregular verb, which means it doesn't follow the standard rules for verbs like regular -er and -ir verbs. It has both a stem change (e -> ie) and an irregular "yo" form.

Memorize this table—it's one of the most important ones in Spanish!

Pronoun	Conjugation	English Translation
Yo	tengo	I have
Tú	tienes	You (informal) have
Él/Ella/Ud.	tiene	He/She/You (formal) have
Nosotros/as	tenemos	We have
Vosotros/as	tenéis	You all (informal) have
Ellos/as/Uds.	tienen	They/You all have

The 4 Key Uses of 'Tener'

Let's dive into the main ways you'll use this powerhouse verb.

1. Possession: "To Have"

This is the most straightforward use of tener. When you want to talk about things you own or possess, tener is your go-to verb. You'll often use it alongside possessive adjectives like mi, tu, and su.

• Tengo un perrodog y dos gatos. (I have a dog and two cats.)
• ¿Tienes un bolígrafopen? (Do you have a pen?)
• Mi hermana tiene el pelo largo. (My sister has long hair.)

Let's practice with a quick game! Unscramble this sentence.

2. Age: "To Be ... Years Old"

This is a huge one for English speakers! In English, we are our age ("I am 25 years old"). In Spanish, you have your years ("I have 25 years"). Using the verb ser or estar to state your age is a very common beginner mistake. Understanding the difference between ser vs. estar is a core concept, and tener for age is a special case to remember.

See the difference for yourself:

To ask someone their age, you'll also use tener:

¿Cuántos años tienes? (How old are you? / Literally: How many years do you have?)

3. Obligations: "Tener que + Infinitive"

Need to express that you have to do something? Tener has you covered. The formula is simple and incredibly useful, and it forms a key part of expressing obligation in Spanish.

tener (conjugated) + que + infinitive verb

This structure is the direct equivalent of "to have to do something."

• Tengo que estudiar para mi examen. (I have to study for my exam.)
• Tenemos que comprar lechemilk. (We have to buy milk.)
• Ella tiene que trabajar mañana. (She has to work tomorrow.)

Test your knowledge! How would you say, "You have to run"?

4. Idiomatic Expressions: The Real Fun!

This is where tener really shines and where you can start sounding less like a textbook and more like a native speaker. Spanish uses tener for many common physical and emotional states that English expresses with "to be." These are some of the most common idiomatic expressions in Spanish.

Here are the most important ones to learn:

Spanish Expression	Literal Translation	Common Meaning	Example
Tener hambre	To have hunger	To be hungry	Tengo mucha hambre. (I'm very hungry.)
Tener sed	To have thirst	To be thirsty	¿Tienes sed? (Are you thirsty?)
Tener frío	To have cold	To be cold	Ella tiene frío. (She is cold.)
Tener calor	To have heat	To be hot	¡Tengo calor! Abre la ventana. (I'm hot! Open the window.)
Tener sueño	To have sleep	To be sleepy	Los niños tienen sueño. (The children are sleepy.)
Tener prisa	To have hurry	To be in a hurry	Lo siento, tengo prisa. (I'm sorry, I'm in a hurry.)
Tener miedo (de)	To have fear (of)	To be afraid (of)	Tengo miedo de las arañas. (I'm afraid of spiders.)
Tener razón	To have reason	To be right	¡Tenías razón! Esta película es genial. (You were right! This movie is great.)
Tener ganas de...	To have desires of...	To feel like...	Tengo ganas de comer pizza. (I feel like eating pizza.)

Be very careful with tener calor (to be hot). Using estar here can get you into awkward situations!

Saying Estoy caliente often implies you're sexually aroused. To talk about feeling hot due to the weather, always use Tengo calor.

You've Got This!

Whew, that was a lot! But look at how much you've learned. The verb tener is your key to expressing possession, age, obligations, and tons of common feelings.

Start by mastering the present tense conjugation, then slowly incorporate the different uses into your daily practice. A great way to see these phrases in action is by reading some of our beginner-level stories. Before you know it, saying Tengo hambre instead of Estoy hambre will be second nature.

Keep practicing, and you'll tener success in no time!