los tengo
/los tenɡo/from spelling rules
In Spanish, 'got 'em' is expressed as los tengo.
This expression is used to announce that you have captured or obtained certain people or items. While it literally translates to 'I have them', it serves as the standard idiomatic way to convey the English sense of 'got 'em'.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is a combination of the direct object pronoun los (them) and the first-person singular present tense of the verb tener (to have or possess).
Which one should you use?
los tengo is the standard way to express the idiomatic 'got 'em' regarding successful acquisition or capture, whereas Los agarré is an alternative informal phrase specifically meaning 'I grabbed them'.
How does it change in a sentence?
The pronoun must agree with the gender of the items or people being captured. If the subjects are feminine, you must change the pronoun from los to las to say las tengo.
How do you pronounce it?
/los tenɡo/
Did you know?
- The pronoun los in this phrase is a direct descendant of the Latin word illōs, which was originally used to point to something far away.
- While los tengo means 'I have them', the verb tener is also used to describe temporary physical states like hunger or cold, which English cannot do with the word 'have'.
- Adding the word ya to create ya los tengo transforms a simple statement of possession into a triumphant cry of 'I've finally got them'.
Examples in context
- ¡Atrapados! Ellos cayeron en nuestra trampa.Caught! They fell into our trap.
- Los atrapé a todosI caught them all
- Los tengo aquíI have them here
- Los tengo en mi poderI have them in my possession
- Los capturé rápidamenteI quickly caught them
- Los tengo todos.I have them all.
- Sí, los tengo en la mano.Yes, I have them in my hand.
Example conversation
Daniel is looking for the car keys that Elena found.
- Elena¿Dónde están mis documentos?Where are my documents?
- DanielNo los veo por ningún lado.I don't see them anywhere.
- ElenaTranquilo, los tengo aquí.Calm down, I've got them right here.
- Daniel¡Gracias, Elena!Thanks, Elena!
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries los, CC BY-SA 4.0.
