tengo/tienes/tiene/tenemos/tienen

Tener Present Tense

Foundations

Tener means "to have". It's a fundamental and irregular verb used to talk about what people possess.

How It Works

In Spanish, verbs change their form depending on who is doing the action. This is called conjugation. Tener is a verb you'll use constantly, but it's irregular, which means it doesn't follow the normal rules for verbs ending in -er, like you'll see in regular -ER verbs.

The present tense forms are:

  • yo tengo
  • tú tienes
  • él/ella/usted tiene
  • nosotros/as tenemos
  • vosotros/as tenéis
  • ellos/ellas/ustedes tienen

Here are the main uses of tener:

  • Possession: To say that someone owns or has something.
    Yo tengo un perro. (I have a dog.)
  • Age: Unlike English, which uses "to be" for age, Spanish uses tener.
    Ella tiene veinte años. (She is twenty years old. Literally: She has twenty years.)
  • Obligation: To say that someone "has to" do something. This uses a special structure you can learn more about in the tener que + infinitive pattern.
    Tengo que estudiar. (I have to study.)

It's crucial to match each form with the correct singular subject pronouns and plural subject pronouns.

Recognize the Irregular Parts
Tengo has the special first-person stem teng-. Tienes, tiene and tienen show e → ie. Tenemos and tenéis keep e; common vos uses tenés. The endings still share much with other -ER verbs, so the whole paradigm is not patternless.

Other Common Expressions
Tengo hambre means “I am hungry”; Tengo frío means “I am cold.” With a numeral and años, use tener: Tengo veinticinco años. A noun or adjective description can use other constructions, such as Soy mayor de edad (I am an adult), so tener is not the only verb in every statement related to age.

Examples (6)

  1. Yo tengo un libro.

    I have a book.

    Word by Word: I have a book.

  2. ¿Tienes un lápiz?

    Do you have a pencil?

    Word by Word: Have-you a pencil?

  3. Él tiene 30 años.

    He is 30 years old.

    Word by Word: He has 30 years.

    Notice that Spanish uses 'tener' (to have) to talk about age, not 'ser' or 'estar' (to be).

  4. Nosotros tenemos una casa grande.

    We have a big house.

    Word by Word: We have a house big.

  5. Vosotros tenéis clase ahora.

    You all have class now.

    Word by Word: You-all have class now.

    The 'vosotros' form is primarily used in Spain for the informal plural 'you'.

  6. Tengo que estudiar para el examen.

    I have to study for the exam.

    Word by Word: I-have that to-study for the exam.

    This shows the 'tener que + infinitive' structure, which expresses obligation.

Common Mistakes

  • Using 'ser' (to be) for age instead of 'tener'.

    Yo soy 25 años.
    Yo tengo 25 años.

    For a person’s numerical age with años, use tener: Tengo 25 años. Soy 25 años does not form that expression; other age-related descriptions can use ser with an adjective or noun.

How It Connects

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tengo/tienes/tiene/tenemos/tienenFoundationsTener Present Tense

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