¿Tienes un hermano?
The English phrase "do you have a brother" is translated into Spanish as ¿Tienes un hermano?
In informal settings, you may also hear ¿Tienes hermano? or ¿Tienes algún hermano?, the latter of which can mean "Do you have any brother/sibling?"
What does it mean word for word?
The word tienes is the second-person singular conjugation of the verb tener, which means "you have".
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Argentina, the word tenés is commonly used instead of tienes and you may hear the phrase tenés algún hermano.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid saying ¿Eres un hermano? to ask if someone has a brother. English speakers often mistakenly use the verb ser (to be) instead of tener (to have) when asking about possession or relationships.
Did you know?
- The word hermano shares an unexpected linguistic ancestor with the English adjective 'germane', which means 'relevant' or 'closely related'.
- The verb tener in ¿Tienes un hermano? is used for age as well. To say 'I am ten years old', a Spanish speaker says Tengo diez años, literally meaning 'I have ten years'.
- Historically, Spanish speakers used the word fradre for 'brother', which is closer to the Latin fratēr. This was eventually displaced by hermano.
Examples in context
- Ana, ¿tienes un hermano?Do you have a brother, Ana?This sentence is useful for addressing someone named Ana specifically using ¿Tienes un hermano?Tatoeba #790021 by Shishir, translation #773472 by marloncori
- ¿Tienes un hermano?Do you have a brother?This is a direct way to ask the question using ¿Tienes un hermano?Tatoeba #8016862 by Seael, translation #2646633 by CK
- ¿Tienes algún hermano?Do you have any brother/sibling?
Example conversation
María is getting to know Mateo.
- MaríaMateo, ¿tienes un hermano?Mateo, do you have a brother?
- MateoNo, soy hijo único.No, I am an only child.
- MaríaAh, entiendo. ¿Y tienes hermanas?Ah, I see. And do you have sisters?
- MateoTengo una hermana menor.I have one younger sister.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries hermano, un, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
