La Familia y Amigos - Family and Friends
The Verb "Tener" and Expressions
You've already met tener in pieces – tengo, tienes, tiene for talking about ages and family members. This lesson finishes the conjugation and shows you the many ways Spaniards use this verb beyond simple possession.
In Spanish, tener does the work that several different English verbs do. You don't only have things with tener – you also use it to say you're hungry, to express that you have to do something, and to describe how you feel. Once you start noticing it, you'll see tener everywhere.
The Full Conjugation
Tener is irregular, but the pattern is consistent enough that the forms stick after a little practice.
| Pronoun | Form | Pronounced |
|---|---|---|
| yo | tengo | TEN-goh |
| tú | tienes | tee-EH-nehs |
| él / ella / usted | tiene | tee-EH-neh |
| nosotros / nosotras | tenemos | teh-NEH-mos |
| vosotros / vosotras | tenéis | teh-NAY-ees |
| ellos / ellas / ustedes | tienen | tee-EH-nehn |
The two forms most learners forget are tenemos (no diphthong, just e) and tenéis (the Spain-only form for "you all"). If you're heading to Spain, tenéis is non-optional – you'll hear it dozens of times a day among friends.
Tener For Possession
This is the literal meaning. You have a thing, a relative, a feature.
- Tengo dos hermanos. – I have two siblings.
- ¿Tienes coche? – Do you have a car?
- Mi tía tiene una casa en Galicia. – My aunt has a house in Galicia.
- Tenemos tres hijos. – We have three children.
- ¿Tenéis tiempo esta tarde? – Do you all have time this afternoon?
Tener For Physical and Emotional States
This is where Spanish diverges sharply from English. In English you are hungry, are cold, are sleepy. In Spanish, you have hunger, cold, sleep. Once you accept the pattern, a whole family of expressions opens up.
| Spanish | Literal | Real meaning |
|---|---|---|
| tener hambre | to have hunger | to be hungry |
| tener sed | to have thirst | to be thirsty |
| tener calor | to have heat | to be hot |
| tener frío | to have cold | to be cold |
| tener sueño | to have sleep | to be sleepy |
| tener prisa | to have hurry | to be in a hurry |
| tener miedo | to have fear | to be afraid |
| tener razón | to have reason | to be right |
| tener suerte | to have luck | to be lucky |
| tener vergüenza | to have shame | to be embarrassed |
Some examples in context:
- Tengo mucha hambre. – I'm very hungry. (Note: mucha, not muy, because hambre is a noun.)
- ¿Tienes sed? Hay agua en la nevera. – Are you thirsty? There's water in the fridge.
- Mi hijo tiene miedo de los perros. – My son is afraid of dogs.
- Tenéis razón, vamos a llegar tarde. – You're right, we're going to be late.
- Tengo prisa, hablamos luego. – I'm in a hurry, we'll talk later.
The trick is the word muy / mucho. Because hambre, sed, and the others are nouns, you intensify them with mucha / mucho (a lot of), not muy (very). "Muy hambre" is wrong. "Mucha hambre" is right.
Tener Que + Infinitive: "Have To"
This is one of the most useful patterns in Spanish. To say you have to do something, use:
tener (conjugated) + que + infinitive
The verb after que stays in its dictionary form (the infinitive).
- Tengo que estudiar. – I have to study.
- Tienes que llamar a tu madre. – You have to call your mom.
- Mi hermana tiene que trabajar mañana. – My sister has to work tomorrow.
- Tenemos que comprar pan. – We have to buy bread.
- ¿Tenéis que ir ya? – Do you all have to go already?
You'll hear this pattern in every conversation about plans, obligations, and schedules. It's how Spaniards say "I gotta," "we should probably," and "we need to" all at once.
Practice
Words to Remember
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| tener | to have |
| tengo | I have |
| tienes | you have (informal) |
| tiene | he / she has, you (formal) have |
| tenemos | we have |
| tenéis | you all have (Spain) |
| tienen | they / you all have |
| tener hambre | to be hungry |
| tener sed | to be thirsty |
| tener calor | to be hot |
| tener frío | to be cold |
| tener sueño | to be sleepy |
| tener prisa | to be in a hurry |
| tener miedo | to be afraid |
| tener razón | to be right |
| tener suerte | to be lucky |
| tener que | to have to |
Conversation
Arriving home hungry
Mamá: ¡Por fin en casa! Tengo mucha hambre. Finally home! I'm really hungry.
Pablo: Yo tengo más sed que hambre. I'm more thirsty than hungry.
Mamá: Hay agua en la nevera. Tenemos que cocinar algo. There's water in the fridge. We have to cook something.
Running late
María: Vamos, tengo prisa. Let's go, I'm in a hurry.
Diego: Tienes razón, son las nueve. You're right, it's nine.
María: Tenemos que coger el metro ya. We have to catch the metro now.
At bedtime
Sara: Mamá, tengo sueño. Mum, I'm sleepy.
Mamá: Vale, cariño. Pero primero tienes que lavarte los dientes. OK, sweetie. But first you have to brush your teeth.
Sara: Vale. ¿Tengo que ir a la cama ya? OK. Do I have to go to bed now?
Practice
Recall
Type the Spanish for each English meaning. Leave a row blank if you draw a blank — that counts as a miss.
Practice
Translation Exercise
Translate each English sentence into Spanish.
Cultural Note
The expression "tener mucha cara" ("to have a lot of face") is one of the most Spanish expressions you'll meet. It means someone is being cheeky, shameless, or pushy in a way that's slightly outrageous but kind of admirable. "¡Vaya cara que tienes!" is something a friend might say with a smile when you've talked your way into a free coffee.
You'll also notice Spaniards use tener que very often where English would use "should" or "need to." The line between obligation and suggestion is softer in Spanish – "tienes que probar la tortilla de mi abuela" doesn't mean you'll be punished if you don't, just that your friend really, really wants you to try it.