tiene
/tjene/from spelling rules
The English phrase 'has' is translated into Spanish as tiene.
tiene is used to indicate that someone or something possesses or owns a particular object or quality. In Spanish, tiene is also used to express age, such as in the phrase Tiene diez años (He/She is ten years old), where English would use the verb 'to be'. Additionally, adding que after tiene changes the meaning to 'has to' or 'must' to express an obligation.
How does it change in a sentence?
The various forms include tengo (I have), tienes (you have), tiene (he/she/it has), tenemos (we have), tenéis (you plural have) and tienen (they have).
How do you pronounce it?
/tjene/
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly use ser (to be) instead of tener when expressing age or physical sensations like hunger or thirst.
Did you know?
- The Spanish word tener is a linguistic relative of the English word 'tenure', which refers to the holding of a position.
- The phrase tener razón literally translates to 'to have reason', but it is the standard way to say 'to be right'.
- The expression tener ganas de means to feel like doing something, literally 'to have the desire of'.
Examples in context
- Él tiene un blog.He has a blog.This sentence is useful for showing the possession of an object with tiene.Tatoeba #2936912 by cueyayotl, translation #2907286 by CM
- Tom tiene que ir.Tom has to go.This sentence demonstrates how tiene que expresses an obligation.Tatoeba #3136578 by marcelostockle, translation #2649188 by CK
- Él tiene un hijo.He has a son.This sentence is an example of using tiene to indicate a familial relationship.Tatoeba #3481789 by hayastan, translation #2870268 by Amastan
- Ella ha terminado su trabajo.She has finished her work.
- Él posee una gran colección de libros.He has a large collection of books.
- Ella tiene un nuevo coche.She has a new car.
- Yo cuento con la ayuda de mis amigos.I have the support of my friends.
- 3360 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Daniel and Lucía are looking at a new apartment.
- Daniel¿La casa tiene jardín?Does the house have a garden?
- LucíaSí, y tiene mucha luz.Yes, and it has a lot of light.
- DanielQué bueno, tiene buen aspecto.That's good, it looks good.
- LucíaEs verdad, tiene mucho potencial.True, it has a lot of potential.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
