tener
/teˈneɾ/
The Spanish verb for "to have" is tener.
tener is the most common and general verb used for "to have" in Spanish. It is used to express possession, but it is also used for several things that English expresses with "to be", such as stating your age (e.g., tengo 20 años for "I have 20 years") or expressing physical sensations like hunger or thirst. Additionally, the phrase tener ganas de is used to signify that you feel like doing something or have a desire to do something.
How does it change in a sentence?
The verb tener is irregular in the present tense, changing its stem to tien- in most forms. The present tense conjugations are tengo (I have), tienes (you have, informal), tiene (he/she/it has), tenemos (we have), tenéis (you all have) and tienen (they have). It is also a stem-changing verb in the preterite tense, which uses the irregular stem tuv- (for example, tuve, tuviste, tuvo).
How do you pronounce it?
/teˈneɾ/
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly use haber to express possession. However, haber is an auxiliary verb used for "to have done" something rather than for possessing something.
Did you know?
- The English word 'tenacious' is a distant relative of tener, as both come from the concept of 'holding' something tightly.
- The irregular past tense stem tuv- actually exists because the two different verbs for 'to have', tener and haber, merged their forms over centuries.
- While tener expresses possession, Spanish uses it for feelings that English treats as states of being, such as tener miedo for 'to be afraid'.
Examples in context
- Voy a tener un bebé.I'm going to have a baby.This sentence uses tener to talk about having a baby.Tatoeba #1234608 by marcelostockle, translation #250152 by CK
- Quiero tener un amigo.I want to have a friend.This sentence uses tener to express wanting to have a friend.Tatoeba #611073 by clerval, translation #3642249 by MTC
- Vamos a tener un bebé.We are going to have a baby.Tatoeba #731691 by Shishir, translation #31607 by CK
- Yo tengo un perro muy cariñoso.I have a very affectionate dog.
- Ella tiene una casa grande en la playa.She has a big house on the beach.
- Tengo ganas de comer una pizza.I feel like eating a pizza.
- Tengo que estudiar para el examen.I have to study for the exam.
- 254 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Mateo and María are discussing their schedules.
- MateoTengo mucho trabajo hoy.I have a lot of work today.
- María¿Vas a tener tiempo de salir?Are you going to have time to go out?
- MateoNo creo que pueda tener tiempo.I don't think I can have time.
- MaríaEstá bien, podemos hablar mañana.That's fine, we can talk tomorrow.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry tener, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries tener, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
