RDE: Gramática Review Lesson - El Verbo Tener
El Verbo Tener
Tener means to have, but it is also used to form certain expressions (to have to do something), and certain conditions (to be hungry, thirsty, hot, etc.). Tener is both a yo irregular verb as well as a stem changing verb:
| yo | tú | él, ella, Usted | nosotros | vosotros | ellos, ellas, Ustedes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| tengo | tienes | tiene | tenemos | tenéis | tienen |
Simple Uses of tener:
- Yo tengo dos chaquetas rojas.
- I have two red jackets.
- Ella tiene tres primos.
- She has three cousins.
Expressions with the Verb tener
How old were you on your last birthday? When was the last time that you were afraid or in a hurry? Are you feeling hungry or sleepy right now? All of these expressions, as well as a number of others, have one thing in common. In English, you use a form of the verb 'to be' (am, is, are, was, were, etc.) and an adjective (hungry, thirsty, sleepy, etc.). In Spanish, however, you do not use ser or estar and an adjective; you use the verb tener and a noun for all of these expressions. So, in Spanish, you are not hungry, you have hunger. Here is a list of some commonly used expressions that use the verb tener + a noun. These expressions are generally translated into English with phrases that use to be + an adjective.
| Spanish - English | Spanish - English |
|---|---|
| tener calor - to be hot tener ____ años - to be ____ years old tener orgullo - to be proud tener frió - to be cold tener suerte - to be lucky tener hambre - to be hungry tener interés - to be interested tener éxito - to be successful |
tener miedo - to be afraid tener sed - to be thirsty tener sueño - to be sleepy tener prisa - to be in a hurry tener razón - to be right (correct) no tener razón - to be wrong (incorrect) tener cuidado - to be careful tener ganas de - to feel like, to have the desire to |
Practice Activity
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