tienes novio
/tjenes nobjo/from spelling rules
The English phrase "you have a boyfriend" is translated into Spanish as tienes novio.
The phrase is used to indicate that someone is in a relationship with a boyfriend. While tienes novio specifically refers to a boyfriend, you might also use the word pareja to mean "partner" or "boyfriend/girlfriend" in this context.
Which one should you use?
The phrase tienes novio can function as both a statement ("you have a boyfriend") and a question ("do you have a boyfriend?") depending solely on the intonation and punctuation used.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The default form tienes novio uses the informal "tú" form.
How does it change in a sentence?
To change the phrase to mean "you have a girlfriend", replace the masculine noun novio with the feminine novia.
Did you know?
- While tienes novio is the standard phrase, some people use the word pololo in Chile to describe a boyfriend or girlfriend.
- The word novio shares the same root as the English word 'new', as it originally described someone who was 'newlywed'.
- In some romantic contexts, the word novio is used to describe a fiancé, meaning the couple is officially engaged to be married.
Examples in context
- ¿Por qué no tienes novio?Why don't you have a boyfriend?This sentence is useful for asking why someone does not have a boyfriend.Tatoeba #2246826 by Shishir, translation #2240398 by Hybrid
- ¿Tienes novio allá en casa?Do you have a boyfriend back home?This sentence is useful for asking if someone has a boyfriend back home.Tatoeba #4570988 by cueyayotl, translation #4570980 by Hybrid
- No creo que Tom sepa que tienes novio.I don't think Tom knows that you have a boyfriend.This sentence is useful for expressing that you do not think someone knows that you have a boyfriend.Tatoeba #10727561 by SeaLiteral, translation #7232253 by CK
- 2 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lucía and Daniel are talking about their dating lives.
- LucíaDaniel, ¿tienes novio ahora?Daniel, do you have a boyfriend now?
- DanielNo, no tengo novio.No, I don't have a boyfriend.
- LucíaPensé que ya tenías novio.I thought you already had a boyfriend.
- DanielNo, sigo soltero.No, I am still single.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries novio, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
