no tenemos
/no tenemos/from spelling rules
The English phrase "we don't have" is translated into Spanish as no tenemos.
For a more polite and formal way to say "unfortunately, we don't have," you can use Lamentablemente, no contamos con. Additionally, if you want to say "we have no idea" colloquially, you can say No tenemos ni idea.
Which one should you use?
While no tenemos expresses a lack of possession, the phrase no hay is used to express that something does not exist or is not present in a location.
How does it change in a sentence?
To create the negative "we don't have," the word no is placed before the conjugated verb tenemos.
How do you pronounce it?
/no tenemos/
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly try to use no tenemos with haber (to have/exist), but tener is the verb used for possession.
Did you know?
- Because tener is used for age, you would use a form of no tenemos if you were collectively stating that you have not yet reached a certain age.
- The verb tener used in no tenemos can be used to describe a strong desire or craving, such as tenemos ganas de, which translates to 'we feel like'.
- In Spanish, you can use no tenemos to express a lack of courage or patience, such as no tenemos paciencia, treating these abstract qualities as possessions.
Examples in context
- No tenemos que ir.We don't have to go.This sentence shows how to use no tenemos to express obligation.Tatoeba #2219498 by Shishir, translation #1841561 by CK
- No tenemos más pan.We don't have any more bread.This sentence uses no tenemos to indicate a lack of a specific food item.Tatoeba #1702648 by marcelostockle, translation #31118 by CK
- No tenemos un perro.We don't have a dog.This sentence uses no tenemos to indicate the lack of a pet.Tatoeba #4571393 by cueyayotl, translation #2281780 by CK
- No tenemos suficiente comida para todos los invitadosWe don't have enough food for all the guests
- Lamentablemente, no contamos con el producto que está buscandoUnfortunately, we don't have the product you are looking for
- No tenemos suficiente tiempo para ver todas las películasWe don't have enough time to watch all the movies
- ¿Dónde puedo encontrar esos boletos? – No tenemos ni ideaWhere can I find those tickets? – We have no idea
- 92 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Daniel and María are checking their supplies at home.
- Daniel¿Hay leche para el café?Is there milk for the coffee?
- MaríaNo, no tenemos leche.No, we don't have milk.
- DanielEstá bien, iré a la tienda.That's fine, I will go to the store.
- MaríaGracias, Daniel.Thanks, Daniel.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
