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Tener — to Have

The verb tener is irregular and is one of the most useful verbs in Spanish. It means "to have" and is used for possessions, age, and many expressions.

Tener Conjugations (Present)

Tener is an irregular verb. Notice the stem change from "ten-" to "tien-":

yo tengo (I have)
tú tienes (you have)
él/ella/usted tiene (he/she has)
nosotros tenemos (we have)
vosotros tenéis (you all have)
ellos/ellas tienen (they have)

Notice that only nosotros and vosotros keep the regular stem "ten-".

Tener for Possessions

Use tener to say what you or someone else has:

Tengo un gato. = I have a cat.

¿Tienes hermanos? = Do you have siblings?

Ella tiene dos hijos. = She has two children.

Nosotros tenemos una casa grande. = We have a big house.

Tener for Age

In Spanish, you use tener + number + años to say how old someone is. The word "años" means "years":

Tengo dieciocho años. = I am eighteen years old. (literally: I have eighteen years)

¿Cuántos años tienes? = How old are you?

Mi hermano tiene veintitrés años. = My brother is twenty-three years old.

Common Tener Expressions

Spanish uses tener + noun for feelings and sensations that English expresses with "to be":

  • tener hambre (to be hungry) — literally "to have hunger"
  • tener sed (to be thirsty) — literally "to have thirst"
  • tener sueño (to be sleepy) — literally "to have sleep"
  • tener miedo (to be afraid) — literally "to have fear"
  • tener frío (to be cold) — literally "to have cold"
  • tener calor (to be hot) — literally "to have heat"

Tengo hambre. = I am hungry.

¿Tienes sed? = Are you thirsty?

Practice Examples

Can you identify the correct tener conjugation?

Yo (tener) un libro. → tengo

Ellos (tener) dos gatos. → tienen

¿Cuántos años (tú/tener)? → tienes

Nosotros (tener) hambre. → tenemos

Common Mistakes

Traps for English speakers

These are the errors English speakers make most often.

Yo teno
→
Yo tengo
The yo form is irregular: tengo.
Soy 25 años
→
Tengo 25 años
Age uses tener.
Estoy hambre
→
Tengo hambre
Use tener with hambre, sed, frío, calor.

Key Takeaways

  • Tener is an irregular verb—learn all 6 forms.
  • Use tener for possessions: "Tengo un teléfono."
  • Use tener + años for age: "Tengo veinticinco años."
  • Use tener + noun for feelings: "Tengo hambre," "Tengo miedo."
  • Study these patterns—they appear in hundreds of Spanish sentences.

Practice ◆