Lección de repaso - Review and Repetition: El verbo tener

Learning a new language can be a challenging and time-consuming process, but with the right tools and techniques, it is possible to achieve fluency and speak like a native. One powerful tool that can help language learners to make rapid progress is repetition.

Repetition

Repetition is the act of repeating something, whether it be a word, phrase, lesson, or concept in order to reinforce it in the mind. When it comes to language learning, repetition can be a highly effective way to improve pronunciation, build vocabulary, and increase fluency.

What to Expect?

In this course, we will provide lecciones de repaso – review lessons, which can be used as lessons for repetition. We will also provide tips and strategies for incorporating repetition into your Spanish language learning routine. By the end of this course, you will have a better understanding of the power of repetition when learning a second language.

El verbo tener

The verb TENER which means “to have” in most cases, 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.

Let’s focus on verb 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!

Posesión (possession)
Edad (age)
Sensaciones (physical sensations)
Descripción física (physical description)

¿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.

¿Cuántos años tienes? - How old are you?

Mi profesora de música tiene 47 años.
- My music teacher is 47 yeras old.
Yo tengo 14 años.
- I am 14 years old.
Sofía y Lucía tienen 15 años.
- They are 15 years old.

Tener + physical description (to have a sensation = to be that thing)

Tengo calor.
- I am hot.
¿Tienes frío?
- Are you cold?
Nosotros tenemos miedo.
- We are afraid.
Alberto tiene sed.
- Alberto is thristy.

Tener + a physical description

Yo tengo el pelo moreno y tengo los ojos negros.
- I have dark hair and I have black eyes.
El profesor tiene las manos grandes y la nariz pequeña.
- The professor has big hands and a small nose.

Video Lesson

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 with your studies.

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

Video credit: Cyber Profe: cyberprofe.com

Practice Activity

Was this review 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!

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!

Examples Featuring tener

Below is a set of common phrases using tener. Take note of each template - you will see phrases like this often!

Uses of *tener*
Use of tener	Example Sentences
Tener años	Yo tengo 34 años. – I am 34 years old. (Literally: I have 34 years) ¿Cuántos años tienes? – How old are you?
Tener hambre	Tengo hambre. – I am hungry. (Literally: I have hunger) ¿Tienes hambre? – Are you hungry? Sí, tengo hambre. – Yes, I’m hungry. No, no tengo hambre. – No, I’m not hungry.
Tener sed	Tengo sed. – I am thirsty. (Literally: I have thirst) ¿Tienes sed? – Are you thirsty? Sí, tengo sed. – Yes, I’m thirsty. No, no tengo sed. – No, I’m not thirsty.
Tener miedo	Tengo miedo a las arañas. – I am scared of spiders. (Literally: I have a fear of spiders)
Tener sueño	Tengo sueño. – I am sleepy. Tengo sueños. – I have dreams.
Tener prisa	Tengo prisa. – I am in a hurry. Lo siento, tengo prisa. – I’m sorry, I am in a hurry.
Tener calor	Tengo calor. – I am hot.
Tener frío	Tengo frío. – I am cold.
Tener ganas de	Tengo ganas de ir al cine. – I feel like going to the movies. Tengo ganas de bailar salsa. – I feel like dancing salsa. Tengo ganas de hablar y estudiar español. – I feel like speaking and studying Spanish.
Tener dolor de	Tengo dolor de cabeza. – I have a headache. Tengo dolor de estómago. – I have a stomachache. Tengo dolor de muelas. – I have a toothache.

Video Lesson - using tener

Use this video lesson to review these expressions and to practice pronunciation. Go over your apuntes from previous module and add some more if you need. Keep using these expressions this week as you say, I am hungry, I am thirsty, I am cold … etc. You can only learn a language when you practice and say the words over and over. Practica tu español todos los días, es fácil.

Reminder: the speaker in this video uses a regional pronunciation of the Spanish LL sound. In our previous lesson, we learned that LL makes a y sound in Spanish: me llamo = me yamo. However, in some regional dialects of Spanish, the LL sound makes a sound closer to the English J sound: me llamo = me jamo. The narrator in the following video uses this alternate pronunciation. For our course, you are expected to use the standard y pronunciation for LL.

Video credit: SpanishPod101 (Innovative Learning): mobileapps@innovativelanguage.com

Practice Activity

Take a minute to see if you remember these expressions. Do you still have the sticky notes from last module? Did you like the idea of the sticky notes around you to help you use these everyday phrases?

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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