puedo tener
/pwedo teneɾ/from spelling rules
In Spanish, "can I have" is said as puedo tener.
This phrase is used to ask for permission to possess or receive something. While grammatically correct, it is often used to ask for permission to possess something long-term rather than asking for an item in a service setting like a restaurant.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is a literal translation of "I can have", where puedo means "I can" and tener means "to have".
What mistakes should you avoid?
When ordering food or asking for an object in many Spanish-speaking contexts, it is more natural to use ¿Me puede dar…? (Can you give me…?) or ¿Me trae…? (Will you bring me…?) instead of using puedo tener.
When do people say it?
Additionally, the informal phrase ¿Me das…? can be used to mean "Can you give me…?"
Did you know?
- The word tener shares an ancient ancestor with the word 'tentacle'. Both derive from a root meaning 'to stretch' and 'to hold'.
- To express the physical sensation of being hungry or thirsty, Spanish uses tener instead of 'to be'. One says tengo hambre literally as 'I have hunger'.
- Spanish uses tener to describe age, such as tengo veinte años. Instead of 'being' twenty, you 'have' twenty years.
Examples in context
- ¿Puedo tener uno también?Can I have one, too?This sentence shows how to use puedo tener to ask for one more item.Tatoeba #3675783 by SrTortuga, translation #3675780 by CK
- ¿Puedo tener uno de éstos?Can I have one of these?This sentence shows how to use puedo tener to ask for one of a specific group of items.Tatoeba #6863567 by arh, translation #6863408 by CK
- ¿Puedo tener algunos de éstos?Can I have some of these?This sentence shows how to use puedo tener to ask for a quantity of items.Tatoeba #6863555 by arh, translation #6863418 by CK
- ¿Puedo pedir la especialidad de la casa?Can I ask for the house specialty?
- ¿Me das la carta, por favor?Can you give me the menu, please?
- ¿Me puedes traer una cerveza fría?Can you bring me a cold beer?
- 7 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Daniel is asking Sofía for a piece of candy.
- Daniel¿Puedo tener un caramelo, Sofía?Can I have a candy, Sofía?
- SofíaSí, claro. Toma uno.Yes, of course. Take one.
- DanielGracias. ¿Puedo tener otro más?Thanks. Can I have another one?
- SofíaNo, Daniel, solo uno por persona.No, Daniel, only one per person.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
