The verb tener – to have is one of the most important verbs in Spanish. It is used to talk about possession, age, and many common expressions that describe physical or emotional states. The verb tener is irregular in the present tense, which means some forms do not follow regular verb patterns. In this module, you will learn how tener is used in everyday Spanish and how it appears in common expressions.
The verb tener usually means to have. It is used to describe possession or things that belong to someone.
Sample Sentences
Yo tengo un carro – I have a car
Ella tiene una casa – She has a house
El estudiante tiene un libro – The student has a book
Nosotros tenemos una reunión – We have a meeting
Ellos tienen una idea – They have an idea
The verb tener is irregular in the present tense.
The most important irregular form is tengo.
Yo tengo – I have
Tú tienes – You have
Él tiene – He has
Ella tiene – She has
Usted tiene – You have (formal)
Nosotros tenemos – We have
Ellos tienen – They have
Ellas tienen – They have
Ustedes tienen – You all have
Sample Sentences
Yo tengo tiempo ahora – I have time now
Tú tienes razón – You are right
Ella tiene un examen mañana – She has an exam tomorrow
Nosotros tenemos una pregunta – We have a question
Ellos tienen una oportunidad – They have an opportunity
In Spanish, age is expressed with the verb tener instead of the verb to be.
Sample Sentences
Yo tengo veinte años – I am twenty years old
Ella tiene treinta años – She is thirty years old
El niño tiene diez años – The boy is ten years old
Nosotros tenemos veinticinco años – We are twenty-five years old
Mi abuelo tiene setenta años – My grandfather is seventy years old
Spanish often uses tener in expressions that describe physical or emotional conditions.
Sample Sentences
Yo tengo hambre – I am hungry
Ella tiene sed – She is thirsty
Él tiene frío – He is cold
Nosotros tenemos sueño – We are sleepy
Ellos tienen miedo – They are afraid
Several verbs are formed by adding prefixes to tener.
These verbs keep a related meaning connected to possession or holding something.
Mantener – to maintain
Obtener – to obtain
Detener – to stop / to detain
Sample Sentences
La empresa mantiene el edificio – The company maintains the building
El estudiante obtiene buenos resultados – The student obtains good results
La policía detiene al sospechoso – The police stop the suspect
El equipo mantiene la ventaja – The team maintains the lead
El investigador obtiene nueva información – The investigator obtains new information
In this module, you learned how the verb tener is used in Spanish. You practiced its irregular present tense forms such as tengo, tienes, and tenemos. You also learned that Spanish uses tener to express age and many common conditions such as tener hambre and tener frío. Finally, you saw how related verbs like mantener, obtener, and detener are formed from tener. Understanding tener will help you express possession, age, and many everyday situations in Spanish conversations.