tengo tarea
/tenɡo taɾea/from spelling rules
To say 'I have homework' in Spanish, you use tengo tarea.
This phrase is a statement used to say that a student has school assignments to complete at home.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of tengo (I have) and tarea (homework/task).
Which one should you use?
If you want to express the obligation of doing the work, you can use the construction tengo que hacer la tarea ('I have to do the homework').
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Spain, it is very common to use deberes instead of tarea to refer to school homework, such as in the phrases tengo deberes or tengo deberes que hacer.
How do you pronounce it?
/tenɡo taɾea/
Did you know?
- The word tarea comes from the Arabic word ṭarīḥa meaning 'endeavor' and is rooted in a verb meaning 'to throw'.
- The Spanish word deberes is a cognitive relative of the English word 'debt', as both stem from the idea of something that is owed.
- While tarea means 'homework' in a school context, it is also the standard word for a 'chore' or a specific 'task' in a professional setting.
Examples in context
- Tengo tarea.I have homework.This sentence is a simple statement of having homework.Tatoeba #2408803 by hayastan, translation #2245886 by CK
- Tengo tarea que hacer.I have homework to do.This sentence is useful for specifying that you have homework to do.Tatoeba #10028771 by DJ_Saidez, translation #4177434 by Hybrid
- Buenas tardes, profesor. ¿Puede darme más tiempo? Tengo deberes para terminar.Good afternoon, teacher. Could you give me more time? I have homework to finish.
- No puedo ir al cine porque tengo tarea.I cannot go to the cinema because I have homework.
Example conversation
Lucía and Daniel are talking on the phone about their weekend plans.
- Lucía¿Quieres salir conmigo esta tarde, Daniel?Do you want to go out with me this afternoon, Daniel?
- DanielLo siento, Lucía, pero tengo tarea.I'm sorry, Lucía, but I have homework.
- Lucía¿Es mucha tarea la que tienes?Is it a lot of homework that you have?
- DanielSí, es bastante difícil.Yes, it is quite difficult.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries tarea, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
