Expressions with the Verb 'Tener' in Spanish

This section explains Expressions with the Verb 'Tener' in Spanish. The verb ‘tener’ in Spanish is a very important and versatile verb. While it usually means ‘to have’, it is also used in many common expressions to describe things like age, feelings, physical states, and obligations. Understanding these expressions is crucial for mastering conversational Spanish.

The Verb ‘Tener’ (To Have)

First, let's look at the conjugation of ‘tener’ in the present tense.
It is an irregular verb, meaning that it does not follow the standard conjugation patterns of regular verbs.

Conjugation of ‘Tener’ in the Present Tense:

Common Expressions with ‘Tener’

Here are some common expressions that use ‘tener’ in Spanish. These are essential for describing a variety of situations, feelings, and conditions.

a. To express age:

In Spanish, you do not say “I am [age] years old” like in English. Instead, you say “I have [age] years.”

Expression: Tener [number] años – To be [number] years old

• Tengo 16 años (I am 16 years old)
• Mi hermano tiene 10 años (My brother is 10 years old)

b. To express feelings or emotions:

We use ‘tener’ in several expressions to talk about feelings or emotions.

Expression: Tener + [noun] – To have + [noun]

• Tengo hambre (I am hungry)
  (Literally: I have hunger)
• Tienes miedo (You are scared)
  (Literally: You have fear)
• Ella tiene frío (She is cold)
  (Literally: She has cold)
• Tenemos sueño (We are sleepy)
  (Literally: We have sleepiness)

c. To express physical conditions:

Tener is also used to describe physical conditions or health-related states.

• Tengo dolor de cabeza (I have a headache)
  (Literally: I have pain of head)
• Tenemos fiebre (We have a fever)
  (Literally: We have fever)
• Él tiene tos (He has a cough)
  (Literally: He has cough)
• Tengo calor (I am hot)
  (Literally: I have heat)
• Tienes sed (You are thirsty)
  (Literally: You have thirst)

d. To express obligations (must/should):

In some cases, ‘tener’ is used to express obligation or necessity, similar to the English ‘must’ or ‘have to’.

Expression: Tener que + infinitive – To have to + verb
(This is used to talk about what someone must or needs to do.)

• Tengo que estudiar (I have to study)
• Tienes que ir al médico (You have to go to the doctor)
• Ellos tienen que trabajar mañana (They have to work tomorrow)
• Tenemos que hacer la tarea (We have to do the homework)

e. To express the weather (temperature):

The verb ‘tener’ can also be used to describe how someone feels about the weather.

• Tengo calor (I am hot)
• Ella tiene frío (She is cold)
• Tenemos viento (We have wind) (used in some regions to describe windy weather)

f. To express possession (having something):

Although ‘tener’ primarily means "to have", in many cases, it expresses possession or ownership.

• Tengo un perro (I have a dog)
• Tienes una bicicleta nueva (You have a new bicycle)
• Ellos tienen una casa grande (They have a big house)

Foundation Tier Examples with ‘Tener’

Here are some simple sentences using ‘tener’ for basic expressions.

Examples:

• Tengo 12 años (I am 12 years old)
• Tienes hambre (You are hungry)
• Ella tiene calor (She is hot)
• Nosotros tenemos que estudiar (We have to study)

Higher Tier Examples with ‘Tener’

For higher-tier students, we can combine ‘tener’ with more complex phrases or add more details to the expressions.

Examples:

• Tengo muchas ganas de ir al cine esta noche (I really want to go to the cinema tonight)
• Ellos tienen que hacer la comida para toda la familia mañana (They have to cook for the whole family tomorrow)
• Tenemos miedo de que llueva durante el partido de fútbol (We are afraid it will rain during the football match)
• Mi madre tiene un montón de trabajo hoy (My mother has a lot of work today)

Negative Form with ‘Tener’

To make sentences negative with ‘tener’, simply place ‘no’ before the conjugated form of the verb.

Examples:

• No tengo hambre (I’m not hungry)
• No tienes razón (You are not right)
• No tienen suficiente tiempo (They don’t have enough time)
• No tenemos clase hoy (We don’t have class today)

Questions with ‘Tener’

To form questions with ‘tener’, you can invert the subject and the verb, or use ‘¿Qué?’ for specific questions.

Examples:

• ¿Tienes una mascota? (Do you have a pet?)
• ¿Cuántos años tienes? (How old are you?)
• ¿Tienes hambre? (Are you hungry?)
• ¿Ellos tienen coche? (Do they have a car?)

Key Points to Remember

• ‘Tener’ is used to express age, feelings, physical conditions, obligations, and possession.
• It is conjugated irregularly in the present tense, so make sure to memorise the forms.
• To express age, feelings, and physical conditions, use ‘tener’ + noun (e.g., tener hambre = to be hungry).
• To express obligation, use the structure ‘tener que’ + infinitive verb (e.g., tengo que estudiar = I have to study).
• In questions and negative sentences, follow standard rules of inversion and negation.

Summary Table of Common Expressions with ‘Tener’

Conclusion

The verb ‘tener’ is used in many essential expressions to convey age, feelings, physical states, obligations, and possession. Mastering these expressions will allow you to communicate more naturally and effectively in Spanish. Practice using ‘tener’ in various contexts to improve your fluency in everyday conversations!