Grammar Essentials: How to Use Verb Tener in Spanish

In some cases, a single word can be enough to convey a ton of different meanings. The verb tener in Spanish is no exception. It is used in different situations to describe possession, emotions, and many other things. In today’s article, we’ll talk about this beautiful verb, its usage, the tener conjugation examples, and all the other things you need to know about it.

Spanish Verb Tener: Meaning and Common Usage

This simple, at first glance, verb plays a crucial role in casual Spanish communication. The term derives from Latin, and the literal tener meaning is “to have.” However, as we’ve mentioned earlier, it has plenty of other ways of usage. The most common ones are listed below.

• Possession.

In its simplest form, tener Spanish indicates possession. It can refer to objects, personal belongings, or abstract concepts. 

Tengo un coche. (I have a car.)

Ella tiene una idea interesante. (She has an interesting idea.)

Tenemos una cita mañana. (We have an appointment tomorrow.)

• Expressing age.

This verb is also used to express age, which differs from English, where we say, “I am X years old.” In Spanish, you say you “have” a certain number of years.

Tengo 25 años. (I am 25 years old.)

Mi hijo tiene 3 años. (My son is 3 years old.)

• Obligation.

When paired with the preposition “que” and an infinitive verb, tener forms a phrase used to express obligation, like when we say “have to” in English. If you’re talking about the things you must do, this is an essential construction.

Tengo que estudiar para el examen. (I have to study for the exam.)

Tienes que llamar a tu madre. (You have to call your mother.)

• Physical and emotional states.

Another important use of tener is to describe certain physical or emotional states. In English, we might use “to be” for these states (e.g., I am hungry), but in Spanish, tener is commonly used.

Tengo hambre. (I am hungry.)

Ella tiene frío. (She is cold.)

Tienes miedo. (You are scared.)

Tenemos sed. (We are thirsty.)

Tener Conjugations: Explained

The verb tener is irregular, which means that its conjugations don’t follow typical patterns, especially in key tenses like the present, preterite, and future. So, to simplify it for you, we’ve created some tables that explain how to conjugate it in different tenses.

• Tener Preterite Conjugation

Tuve una reunión importante ayer. (I had an important meeting yesterday.)

Ellos tuvieron una gran fiesta anoche. (They had a big party last night.)

• Tener Present Tense Conjugation

Tengo un perro. (I have a dog.)

Tienes mucho trabajo hoy. (You have a lot of work today.)

Nosotros tenemos clase por la mañana. (We have class in the morning.)

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• Tener Future Tense Conjugation

Tendré una reunión mañana. (I will have a meeting tomorrow.)

Tendremos que estudiar mucho para el examen. (We will have to study a lot for the exam.)

• Tener Subjunctive Conjugation

Espero que tengas un buen día. (I hope you have a good day.)

Es importante que tengamos tiempo para descansar. (It’s important that we have time to rest.)

• Tener Imperfect Conjugation

Cuando era niño, tenía un gato. (When I was a child, I had a cat.)

Siempre teníamos mucho tiempo para hablar. (We always had plenty of time to talk.)

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Conclusion

Summing up, we can say that “tener” is one of the most commonly used words in Spanish. Therefore, knowing its meaning and usage is vital for reaching fluency in the language. We hope that this article will help you with that, and we’ll see you soon in the next one!