Mastering ‘Tener’: A Comprehensive Guide to Spanish Conjugation

Understanding the Spanish verb tener (to have) is crucial for any Spanish language learner. It’s one of the most frequently used verbs, essential for expressing possession, age, and various other common expressions. This comprehensive guide will break down the conjugation of tener in all its tenses and moods, providing clear explanations, numerous examples, and practice exercises to help you master its usage. Whether you’re a beginner or an advanced student, this article will equip you with the knowledge and skills to confidently use tener in your Spanish conversations and writing.

This guide is designed for students of all levels, from beginners just starting to learn Spanish to more advanced learners looking to refine their conjugation skills and deepen their understanding of the nuances of tener. By the end of this article, you’ll have a solid grasp of how to conjugate tener in different tenses and moods, and you’ll be able to use it accurately and confidently in a variety of contexts.

Table of Contents

1. Definition of ‘Tener’
2. Structural Breakdown of ‘Tener’
3. Conjugation of ‘Tener’
   • Present Indicative
   • Preterite Indicative
   • Imperfect Indicative
   • Future Indicative
   • Conditional Indicative
   • Present Subjunctive
   • Imperfect Subjunctive
   • Future Subjunctive (Rare)
   • Imperative
4. Examples of ‘Tener’ in Sentences
5. Usage Rules for ‘Tener’
6. Common Mistakes with ‘Tener’
7. Practice Exercises
8. Advanced Topics: Idiomatic Expressions with ‘Tener’
9. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
10. Conclusion

Definition of ‘Tener’

The Spanish verb tener is a versatile and essential verb that primarily translates to “to have” in English. However, its usage extends beyond simple possession. It’s an irregular verb, meaning its conjugation doesn’t follow the standard patterns of regular verbs. Understanding its various uses and conjugations is fundamental to speaking and understanding Spanish fluently.

Tener can be used to express:

• Possession: Yo tengo un coche. (I have a car.)
• Age: Ella tiene veinte años. (She is twenty years old.)
• Obligation (with que): Tenemos que estudiar. (We have to study.)
• Physical sensations: Tengo hambre. (I am hungry.)
• Mental states: Tengo miedo. (I am afraid.)

In essence, tener is a cornerstone of Spanish grammar, appearing in countless everyday conversations and written texts. Mastering its conjugation and various idiomatic uses will significantly improve your overall Spanish proficiency.

Structural Breakdown of ‘Tener’

Tener is an irregular verb, meaning its stem changes in some conjugations. The infinitive form is tener. The stem changes primarily occur in the present tense, preterite tense, and present subjunctive. Recognizing these stem changes is crucial for accurate conjugation.

Here’s a breakdown of the stem changes:

• Present Tense: The stem changes from ten- to teng- in the yo form and tien- in all forms except nosotros and vosotros.
• Preterite Tense: The stem changes from ten- to tuv-.
• Present Subjunctive: The stem changes from ten- to teng- in all forms.

Understanding these stem changes is the key to mastering the conjugation of tener. The following sections will provide detailed conjugations for each tense and mood, highlighting these stem changes for clarity.

Conjugation of ‘Tener’

This section provides a comprehensive breakdown of the conjugation of tener in various tenses and moods. Each tense is presented with its conjugation table and explanatory notes.

Present Indicative

The present indicative tense is used to express actions happening now or habitual actions. The stem of tener changes in this tense.

Pronoun	Conjugation	English Translation
Yo	tengo	I have
Tú	tienes	You have (informal)
Él/Ella/Usted	tiene	He/She/You (formal) have
Nosotros/Nosotras	tenemos	We have
Vosotros/Vosotras	tenéis	You have (informal plural, Spain)
Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes	tienen	They/You (formal plural) have

Note: Observe the stem changes: teng- in the yo form and tien- in all forms except nosotros and vosotros.

Preterite Indicative

The preterite indicative tense is used to express completed actions in the past. Tener also has a stem change in this tense.

Pronoun	Conjugation	English Translation
Yo	tuve	I had
Tú	tuviste	You had (informal)
Él/Ella/Usted	tuvo	He/She/You (formal) had
Nosotros/Nosotras	tuvimos	We had
Vosotros/Vosotras	tuvisteis	You had (informal plural, Spain)
Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes	tuvieron	They/You (formal plural) had

Note: The stem changes to tuv- in this tense.

Imperfect Indicative

The imperfect indicative tense is used to describe ongoing actions or habitual actions in the past. Tener is regular in this tense.

Pronoun	Conjugation	English Translation
Yo	tenía	I used to have
Tú	tenías	You used to have (informal)
Él/Ella/Usted	tenía	He/She/You (formal) used to have
Nosotros/Nosotras	teníamos	We used to have
Vosotros/Vosotras	teníais	You used to have (informal plural, Spain)
Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes	tenían	They/You (formal plural) used to have

Note: Tener is regular in the imperfect indicative tense.

Future Indicative

The future indicative tense is used to express actions that will happen in the future. Tener is regular in this tense.

Pronoun	Conjugation	English Translation
Yo	tendré	I will have
Tú	tendrás	You will have (informal)
Él/Ella/Usted	tendrá	He/She/You (formal) will have
Nosotros/Nosotras	tendremos	We will have
Vosotros/Vosotras	tendréis	You will have (informal plural, Spain)
Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes	tendrán	They/You (formal plural) will have

Note: Tener is regular in the future indicative tense. The entire infinitive (tener) is used as the stem, and the future endings are added.

Conditional Indicative

The conditional indicative tense is used to express what someone would do or what would happen under certain conditions. Tener is regular in this tense.

Pronoun	Conjugation	English Translation
Yo	tendría	I would have
Tú	tendrías	You would have (informal)
Él/Ella/Usted	tendría	He/She/You (formal) would have
Nosotros/Nosotras	tendríamos	We would have
Vosotros/Vosotras	tendríais	You would have (informal plural, Spain)
Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes	tendrían	They/You (formal plural) would have

Note: Tener is regular in the conditional indicative tense. The entire infinitive (tener) is used as the stem, and the conditional endings are added.

Present Subjunctive

The present subjunctive mood is used to express doubt, uncertainty, wishes, or emotions. Tener has a stem change in this mood.

Pronoun	Conjugation	English Translation
Yo	tenga	I have (subjunctive)
Tú	tengas	You have (subjunctive, informal)
Él/Ella/Usted	tenga	He/She/You (formal) have (subjunctive)
Nosotros/Nosotras	tengamos	We have (subjunctive)
Vosotros/Vosotras	tengáis	You have (subjunctive, informal plural, Spain)
Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes	tengan	They/You (formal plural) have (subjunctive)

Note: The stem changes to teng- in all forms in the present subjunctive.

Imperfect Subjunctive

The imperfect subjunctive mood is used to express hypothetical situations or past subjunctive actions. There are two possible conjugations for the imperfect subjunctive.

Pronoun	Conjugation 1	Conjugation 2	English Translation
Yo	tuviera	tuviese	I had (subjunctive)
Tú	tuvieras	tuvieses	You had (subjunctive, informal)
Él/Ella/Usted	tuviera	tuviese	He/She/You (formal) had (subjunctive)
Nosotros/Nosotras	tuviéramos	tuviésemos	We had (subjunctive)
Vosotros/Vosotras	tuvierais	tuvieseis	You had (subjunctive, informal plural, Spain)
Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes	tuvieran	tuviesen	They/You (formal plural) had (subjunctive)

Note: Both conjugations are equally correct and interchangeable.

Future Subjunctive (Rare)

The future subjunctive is rarely used in modern Spanish. It’s mostly found in legal or formal documents. For completeness, here’s the conjugation:

Pronoun	Conjugation	English Translation
Yo	tuviere	I should have (subjunctive)
Tú	tuvieres	You should have (subjunctive, informal)
Él/Ella/Usted	tuviere	He/She/You (formal) should have (subjunctive)
Nosotros/Nosotras	tuviéremos	We should have (subjunctive)
Vosotros/Vosotras	tuviereis	You should have (subjunctive, informal plural, Spain)
Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes	tuvieren	They/You (formal plural) should have (subjunctive)

Note: This tense is rarely used in contemporary Spanish. It is included for completeness.

Imperative

The imperative mood is used to give commands or make requests.

Pronoun	Conjugation	English Translation
Tú	ten	Have (informal)
Usted	tenga	Have (formal)
Nosotros/Nosotras	tengamos	Let’s have
Vosotros/Vosotras	tened	Have (informal plural, Spain)
Ustedes	tengan	Have (formal plural)

Note: The imperative forms are derived from the present subjunctive, except for the tú and vosotros forms.

Examples of ‘Tener’ in Sentences

This section provides numerous examples of tener used in different contexts and tenses. These examples will help you understand how to use tener accurately and naturally in your own Spanish conversations and writing.

Here are examples of tener in the present indicative tense:

Spanish Sentence	English Translation
Yo tengo un libro nuevo.	I have a new book.
Tú tienes mucha paciencia.	You have a lot of patience.
Él tiene un coche rojo.	He has a red car.
Ella tiene una casa grande.	She has a big house.
Usted tiene razón.	You are right (formal).
Nosotros tenemos un perro.	We have a dog.
Vosotros tenéis suerte.	You are lucky (informal plural, Spain).
Ellos tienen muchos amigos.	They have many friends.
Ellas tienen el pelo rubio.	They have blonde hair.
Ustedes tienen mucho trabajo.	You have a lot of work (formal plural).
¿Tienes tiempo para ayudarme?	Do you have time to help me?
Mi hermana tiene quince años.	My sister is fifteen years old.
Nosotros tenemos que estudiar para el examen.	We have to study for the exam.
Yo tengo hambre.	I am hungry.
Ella tiene frío.	She is cold.
Ellos tienen miedo de la oscuridad.	They are afraid of the dark.
¿Tienes una pregunta?	Do you have a question?
El restaurante tiene buena comida.	The restaurant has good food.
La ciudad tiene muchos parques.	The city has many parks.
El hotel tiene una piscina.	The hotel has a swimming pool.
Tengo ganas de ir a la playa.	I feel like going to the beach.
Tenemos prisa.	We are in a hurry.
Tienen cuidado.	They are careful.
Tengo sueño.	I am sleepy.
¿Tienes sed?	Are you thirsty?
Mi abuelo tiene noventa años.	My grandfather is ninety years old.
El libro tiene muchas páginas.	The book has many pages.
La película tiene buenos actores.	The movie has good actors.

Here are examples of tener in the preterite indicative tense:

Spanish Sentence	English Translation
Yo tuve un accidente ayer.	I had an accident yesterday.
Tú tuviste una buena idea.	You had a good idea.
Él tuvo que trabajar hasta tarde.	He had to work late.
Ella tuvo una fiesta de cumpleaños.	She had a birthday party.
Nosotros tuvimos un viaje increíble.	We had an incredible trip.
Vosotros tuvisteis la oportunidad de ganar.	You had the opportunity to win (informal plural, Spain).
Ellos tuvieron un bebé.	They had a baby.
¿Tuviste tiempo para ir al supermercado?	Did you have time to go to the supermarket?
Tuve que limpiar la casa.	I had to clean the house.
El concierto tuvo mucho éxito.	The concert was very successful.
Tuvimos una reunión importante.	We had an important meeting.
Tuviste suerte de encontrar ese trabajo.	You were lucky to find that job.
Tuvo una entrevista de trabajo.	He/She had a job interview.
Tuvimos que cancelar el evento.	We had to cancel the event.
Tuvieron problemas con el coche.	They had problems with the car.
Tuve una pesadilla anoche.	I had a nightmare last night.
Tuviste una infancia feliz.	You had a happy childhood.
El proyecto tuvo buenos resultados.	The project had good results.
Tuvimos una conversación interesante.	We had an interesting conversation.
Tuvieron una gran decepción.	They had a great disappointment.
¿Tuviste alguna noticia de él?	Did you have any news from him?
Tuve una sensación extraña.	I had a strange feeling.
Tuvimos una cena deliciosa.	We had a delicious dinner.
La película tuvo una buena crítica.	The movie had a good review.
Tuviste un buen desempeño.	You had a good performance.
Tuvo una reacción alérgica.	He/She had an allergic reaction.
Tuvimos una tormenta fuerte.	We had a strong storm.
Tuvieron una visita inesperada.	They had an unexpected visit.

Here are examples of tener in the imperfect indicative tense:

Spanish Sentence	English Translation
Yo tenía el pelo largo cuando era niña.	I used to have long hair when I was a child.
Tú tenías muchos juguetes.	You used to have many toys.
Él tenía un perro que se llamaba Max.	He used to have a dog named Max.
Ella tenía una bicicleta roja.	She used to have a red bicycle.
Nosotros teníamos una casa en la playa.	We used to have a house on the beach.
Vosotros teníais mucho tiempo libre.	You used to have a lot of free time (informal plural, Spain).
Ellos tenían un jardín grande.	They used to have a big garden.
Antes tenía un trabajo diferente.	I used to have a different job before.
Cuando era joven, tenía mucha energía.	When I was young, I used to have a lot of energy.
Tenía que ir a la escuela todos los días.	I had to go to school every day.
Siempre teníamos cenas familiares.	We always used to have family dinners.
Tenías la costumbre de llegar tarde.	You used to have the habit of arriving late.
Tenía un coche viejo pero confiable.	He/She used to have an old but reliable car.
Teníamos la esperanza de ganar.	We used to have the hope of winning.
Tenían miedo de las tormentas.	They used to be afraid of storms.
Tenía muchos amigos en la universidad.	I used to have many friends in college.
Tenías un talento especial para la música.	You used to have a special talent for music.
El pueblo tenía una iglesia antigua.	The town used to have an old church.
Teníamos un profesor muy estricto.	We used to have a very strict teacher.
Tenían una vista hermosa desde su casa.	They used to have a beautiful view from their house.
¿Tenías un teléfono celular antes?	Did you used to have a cell phone before?
Tenía la intención de viajar.	I used to have the intention of traveling.
Teníamos la tradición de celebrar Navidad juntos.	We used to have the tradition of celebrating Christmas together.
La ciudad tenía una estación de tren.	The city used to have a train station.
Tenías una colección de sellos.	You used to have a stamp collection.
Tenía un gran respeto por su padre.	He/She used to have great respect for his/her father.
Teníamos un huerto en el jardín.	We used to have a vegetable garden in the backyard.
Tenían una vida tranquila en el campo.	They used to have a quiet life in the countryside.

Usage Rules for ‘Tener’

While tener primarily translates to “to have,” its uses in Spanish extend beyond simple possession. Here are some key usage rules and exceptions:

• Expressing Age: In Spanish, age is expressed using tener. For example, “Tengo 25 años” means “I am 25 years old.”
• Expressing Obligation: Tener que + infinitive is used to express obligation. For example, “Tengo que estudiar” means “I have to study.”
• Expressing Physical Sensations: Tener is used to express physical sensations like hunger, thirst, or cold. For example, “Tengo hambre” means “I am hungry,” and “Tengo frío” means “I am cold.”
• Expressing Mental States: Similar to physical sensations, tener can express mental states. For instance, “Tengo miedo” means “I am afraid,” and “Tengo razón” means “I am right.”
• Idiomatic Expressions: Tener is part of many idiomatic expressions, which often don’t directly translate to “to have.” It’s important to learn these expressions individually.

Exception: While tener is used for many situations, remember that some expressions use ser or estar instead. For example, you would say “Estoy cansado” (I am tired) using estar, not tener.

Common Mistakes with ‘Tener’

Here are some common mistakes learners make when using tener, along with corrections:

Incorrect	Correct	Explanation
Yo soy 20 años.	Yo tengo 20 años.	Age is expressed with tener, not ser.
Tengo calor en la invierno.	Tengo calor en el invierno.	Correct article usage with seasons.
Él tiene razón.	Él tiene razón.	This is correct.
Nosotros estamos hambre.	Nosotros tenemos hambre.	Hunger is expressed with tener, not estar.
Tú eres prisa.	Tú tienes prisa.	“To be in a hurry” is expressed with tener.
Ellos son miedo.	Ellos tienen miedo.	Fear is expressed with tener.
Yo tengo que voy.	Yo tengo que ir.	Tener que requires an infinitive.
Tengo un bueno idea.	Tengo una buena idea.	Adjective agreement: buena (feminine) agrees with idea.
Tuve un accidente en la calle.	Tuve un accidente en la calle.	This is correct.
Tenía el pelo largo cuando era niño.	Tenía el pelo largo cuando era niño.	This is correct.

Practice Exercises

Test your knowledge of tener with these practice exercises. Fill in the blanks with the correct form of tener.

1. Yo ___________ un coche nuevo.
2. Tú ___________ que estudiar para el examen.
3. Él ___________ veinte años.
4. Nosotros ___________ una casa grande.
5. Vosotros ___________ suerte.
6. Ellos ___________ muchos amigos.
7. ¿___________ tú tiempo para ayudarme?
8. Ella ___________ frío.
9. Yo ___________ hambre.
10. Nosotros ___________ que irnos.

Answer Key:

1. tengo
2. tienes
3. tiene
4. tenemos
5. tenéis
6. tienen
7. Tienes
8. tiene
9. tengo
10. tenemos

Advanced Topics: Idiomatic Expressions with ‘Tener’

Tener is used in many idiomatic expressions in Spanish. These expressions often don’t translate directly to “to have” and must be learned as individual phrases. Mastering these expressions will significantly enhance your fluency and comprehension.

Here are some common idiomatic expressions with tener:

• Tener razón: To be right. Ejemplo: Él tiene razón sobre el problema. (He is right about the problem.)
• Tener cuidado: To be careful. Ejemplo: Ten cuidado al cruzar la calle. (Be careful when crossing the street.)
• Tener éxito: To be successful. Ejemplo: Espero tener éxito en mi carrera. (I hope to be successful in my career.)
• Tener lugar: To take place. Ejemplo: La reunión tiene lugar mañana. (The meeting takes place tomorrow.)
• Tener ganas de: To feel like, to have the desire to. Ejemplo: Tengo ganas de ir al cine. (I feel like going to the movies.)
• Tener en cuenta: To take into account, to consider. Ejemplo: Debes tener en cuenta todos los factores. (You must take all factors into account.)
• Tener que ver con: To have to do with. Ejemplo: Este problema tiene que ver con la economía. (This problem has to do with the economy.)
• Tener vergüenza: To be ashamed. Ejemplo: Tengo vergüenza de mi error. (I am ashamed of my mistake.)
• Tener celos: To be jealous. Ejemplo: Él tiene celos de su hermano. (He is jealous of his brother.)
• Tener la culpa: To be to blame. Ejemplo: Yo tengo la culpa del accidente. (I am to blame for the accident.)

Understanding and using these idiomatic expressions will make your Spanish sound more natural and fluent. Make an effort to incorporate them into your conversations and writing.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Conclusion

Mastering the conjugation and usage of tener is a significant step towards fluency in Spanish. This comprehensive guide has provided you with a detailed breakdown of its various tenses and moods, numerous examples, and practical exercises. By understanding the stem changes, usage rules, and common idiomatic expressions, you’ll be well-equipped to use tener accurately and confidently in your Spanish conversations and writing.

Continue practicing and incorporating tener into your daily language learning routine. The more you use it, the more natural and intuitive it will become. ¡Buena suerte con tus estudios!