él tiene
/el tjene/from spelling rules
The English phrase "he has" is translated into Spanish as él tiene.
This phrase is used to indicate that a male person possesses or owns something.
How does it change in a sentence?
The word tiene is the third-person singular conjugation of the verb tener, which means "to have".
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly use él es (he is) instead of él tiene when describing physical characteristics like hair color or age. In Spanish, you use tener (to have) for these attributes.
Did you know?
- If a speaker says tiene razón, they are not saying 'he has a reason', but rather 'he is right'.
- In everyday conversation, Spanish speakers almost always drop the word él and simply say tiene.
- The word él is actually a descendant of the Latin word ille, which originally meant 'that one' rather than 'he'.
Examples in context
- Él tiene un blog.He has a blog.This sentence is useful for showing how to use él tiene with a possession like a blog.Tatoeba #2936912 by cueyayotl, translation #2907286 by CM
- Él tiene un hijo.He has a son.This sentence is useful for showing how to use él tiene to describe family relationships.Tatoeba #3481789 by hayastan, translation #2870268 by Amastan
- Él tiene un perro.He has a dog.This sentence is useful for showing how to use él tiene to indicate ownership of an animal.Tatoeba #377225 by hayastan, translation #288121 by CK
- Él tiene un auto nuevo.He has a new car.
- Él tiene mucho trabajo esta semana.He has a lot of work this week.
- Él tiene una casa hermosa.He has a beautiful house.
- 301 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Javier and María are talking about a coworker.
- Javier¿Sabes dónde está el libro de Carlos?Do you know where Carlos's book is?
- MaríaCreo que él tiene el libro.I think he has the book.
- Javier¿De verdad? Lo necesito ahora.Really? I need it now.
- MaríaVe a buscarlo, entonces.Go look for it, then.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries él, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
