LES: Lesson - El verbo tener

A person holds a cellphone. On the screen are the words "Yo tengo"El verbo tener

While the verb tener, which has a base meaning of to have, is an irregular verb, it´s one of the most common verbs in Spanish. We use this verb very often, for example to talk about age, physical sensations, possession, or also to describe the physique of people.

In this lección, we will explore, in detail, how to use the verb tener with the conjugation in the present and the past, as well as the four uses of this verb with some examples.

You will also find exercises at the end of the page to practice the conjugation and the uses of the verb tener so that you know how to use this verb in Spanish sentences correctly!

Conjugating tener

Let's look at the conjugation of the verb tener:

Conjugation of tener
Spanish English Translation
Yo tengo I have
Tú tienes You have (informal, singular)
Él tiene
Ella tiene		 He has
She has
Usted tiene You have (formal, singular)
Nosotros tenemos (masculine/mixed group)
Nosotras tenemos (feminine)		 We have
Vosotros tenéis (masculine/mixed group)
Vosotras tenéis (feminine)		 You have (informal, plural)
Ellos tienen (masculine/mixed group)
Ellas tienen (feminine)		 They have
Ustedes tienen You have (formal, plural)

Four Uses of the Verb tener

It is very important to know the different uses of the verb tener since some of them do not correspond to English and therefore it will help you avoid making interference errors with English grammar. In other words, it will help you prevent treating Spanish just like English - remember, these are two different languages!

¿Qué tienes? - What do you have?

  • Tengo una mochila roja.
    • I have a red backpack.
  • Tengo unos libros de historia muy interesantes.
    • I have a few interesting history books.
  • Marta y yo tenemos una clase de ciencias al mediodía.
    • Marta and I have a math class at noon.

Video Lesson

A notebook and pen with ¡Toma apuntes! written on it.

Let’s go over conjugating the verb tener and some examples of how to use the verb tener.

Watch this video lesson, take notes, and complete the practice activities. Remember, email your teacher if you have any questions after you complete a lesson. Your instructor is always available to help you and clarify any additional questions you may have before you move forward in your studies.

Feel free to press pause and repeat the video. ¡Toma apuntes! - Take notes!

Video credit: Cyber Profe: cyberprofe.com

A stick note with La actividad de práctica written on it.

Practice Activity

Was this video lesson helpful? Can you conjugate the verb tener and use this verb in a few sentences? Take time to practice. All practice activities have unlimited attempts. Practice as many times as you need. When you complete practice activities, you are reviewing the lessons and preparing yourself to move forward in the course!

It's now time to practice what you've learned.

Complete the following practice activity. Be sure you do not forget to use correct end punctuation, capitalization, accents, and all diacritical marks in your response or points will be deducted.

NOTE: You are required to use information from this course to complete all practice activities. Additionally, fill-in-the-blank activities can be very particular: if an item is marked incorrect, double check that it wasn't something as minor as an extra space or a capital letter in the wrong place!

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