How to Use Tener in Spanish: Meanings, Phrases, and Examples
Tener is one of those Spanish verbs that does far more than its basic translation suggests. Most learners encounter it first as "to have" and spend the early stages of their Spanish learning using it only for possession. She has a car. He has two children. We have a problem. That is a solid start, but it barely scratches the surface of what tener actually does in everyday Spanish.
Tener expresses age. It expresses obligation. It expresses physical sensations like hunger, thirst, cold, and heat. It expresses emotional states like fear and shame. It appears in dozens of idiomatic expressions that have no direct English equivalent. And in the workplace, it is one of the most frequently used verbs across every industry and every type of professional communication.
This guide covers tener completely: the full conjugation across every tense, every major meaning, all the idiomatic tener expressions worth knowing, and real workplace examples throughout.
What Tener Means and Why It Matters
The core meaning of tener is "to have" in the sense of possession or relationship. But Spanish uses tener in many contexts where English uses "to be," particularly for expressing age, physical sensations, and emotional states. This is one of the most important differences between the two languages, and it is what makes tener such a high-frequency verb in everyday Spanish.
I am thirty years old. → Tengo treinta años. (literally: I have thirty years)
I am hungry. → Tengo hambre. (literally: I have hunger)
I am afraid. → Tengo miedo. (literally: I have fear)
I am cold. → Tengo frío. (literally: I have cold)
In every one of those sentences, English uses "to be" and Spanish uses tener. Once you internalize that pattern, you have unlocked one of the most productive structural differences between English and Spanish.
Complete Conjugation Reference for Tener
Present Indicative
Yo → tengo (I have)
Tú → tienes (you have, informal)
Él / Ella / Usted → tiene (he has / she has / you have, formal)
Nosotros → tenemos (we have)
Vosotros → tenéis (you all have, Spain)
Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes → tienen (they have / you all have)
Preterite
Yo → tuve (I had)
Tú → tuviste (you had, informal)
Él / Ella / Usted → tuvo (he had / she had / you had, formal)
Nosotros → tuvimos (we had)
Vosotros → tuvisteis (you all had, Spain)
Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes → tuvieron (they had / you all had)
Imperfect
Yo → tenía (I had / I used to have)
Tú → tenías (you had / you used to have, informal)
Él / Ella / Usted → tenía (he had / she had / you had, formal)
Nosotros → teníamos (we had / we used to have)
Vosotros → teníais (you all had, Spain)
Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes → tenían (they had / you all had)
Future
Yo → tendré (I will have)
Tú → tendrás (you will have, informal)
Él / Ella / Usted → tendrá (he will have / she will have / you will have, formal)
Nosotros → tendremos (we will have)
Vosotros → tendréis (you all will have, Spain)
Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes → tendrán (they will have / you all will have)
Conditional
Yo → tendría (I would have)
Tú → tendrías (you would have, informal)
Él / Ella / Usted → tendría (he would have / she would have / you would have, formal)
Nosotros → tendríamos (we would have)
Vosotros → tendríais (you all would have, Spain)
Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes → tendrían (they would have / you all would have)
Present Subjunctive
Yo → tenga (that I have)
Tú → tengas (that you have, informal)
Él / Ella / Usted → tenga (that he / she / you have)
Nosotros → tengamos (that we have)
Vosotros → tengáis (that you all have, Spain)
Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes → tengan (that they / you all have)
Imperfect Subjunctive (most common form)
Yo → tuviera (that I had / if I had)
Tú → tuvieras (that you had / if you had, informal)
Él / Ella / Usted → tuviera (that he / she / you had)
Nosotros → tuviéramos (that we had / if we had)
Vosotros → tuvierais (that you all had, Spain)
Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes → tuvieran (that they / you all had)
Imperfect Subjunctive (alternative form)
Yo → tuviese (that I had / if I had)
Tú → tuvieses (that you had / if you had, informal)
Él / Ella / Usted → tuviese (that he / she / you had)
Nosotros → tuviésemos (that we had / if we had)
Vosotros → tuvieseis (that you all had, Spain)
Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes → tuviesen (that they / you all had)
Future Subjunctive (rare, appears in legal and literary texts)
Yo → tuviere (should I have)
Tú → tuvieres (should you have, informal)
Él / Ella / Usted → tuviere (should he / she / you have)
Nosotros → tuviéremos (should we have)
Vosotros → tuviereis (should you all have, Spain)
Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes → tuvieren (should they / you all have)
Present Perfect
Yo → he tenido (I have had)
Tú → has tenido (you have had, informal)
Él / Ella / Usted → ha tenido (he / she / you have had, formal)
Nosotros → hemos tenido (we have had)
Vosotros → habéis tenido (you all have had, Spain)
Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes → han tenido (they / you all have had)
Past Perfect (Pluperfect)
Yo → había tenido (I had had)
Tú → habías tenido (you had had, informal)
Él / Ella / Usted → había tenido (he / she / you had had, formal)
Nosotros → habíamos tenido (we had had)
Vosotros → habíais tenido (you all had had, Spain)
Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes → habían tenido (they / you all had had)
Future Perfect
Yo → habré tenido (I will have had)
Tú → habrás tenido (you will have had, informal)
Él / Ella / Usted → habrá tenido (he / she / you will have had, formal)
Nosotros → habremos tenido (we will have had)
Vosotros → habréis tenido (you all will have had, Spain)
Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes → habrán tenido (they / you all will have had)
Conditional Perfect
Yo → habría tenido (I would have had)
Tú → habrías tenido (you would have had, informal)
Él / Ella / Usted → habría tenido (he / she / you would have had, formal)
Nosotros → habríamos tenido (we would have had)
Vosotros → habríais tenido (you all would have had, Spain)
Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes → habrían tenido (they / you all would have had)
Present Perfect Subjunctive
Yo → haya tenido (that I have had)
Tú → hayas tenido (that you have had, informal)
Él / Ella / Usted → haya tenido (that he / she / you have had)
Nosotros → hayamos tenido (that we have had)
Vosotros → hayáis tenido (that you all have had, Spain)
Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes → hayan tenido (that they / you all have had)
Past Perfect Subjunctive (most common form)
Yo → hubiera tenido (that I had had / if I had had)
Tú → hubieras tenido (that you had had / if you had had, informal)
Él / Ella / Usted → hubiera tenido (that he / she / you had had)
Nosotros → hubiéramos tenido (that we had had / if we had had)
Vosotros → hubierais tenido (that you all had had, Spain)
Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes → hubieran tenido (that they / you all had had)
Past Perfect Subjunctive (alternative form)
Yo → hubiese tenido (that I had had / if I had had)
Tú → hubieses tenido (that you had had / if you had had, informal)
Él / Ella / Usted → hubiese tenido (that he / she / you had had)
Nosotros → hubiésemos tenido (that we had had / if we had had)
Vosotros → hubieseis tenido (that you all had had, Spain)
Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes → hubiesen tenido (that they / you all had had)
Commands (Imperative)
Tú (affirmative) → ten (have, informal)
Tú (negative) → no tengas (do not have, informal)
Usted (affirmative) → tenga (have, formal)
Usted (negative) → no tenga (do not have, formal)
Nosotros (affirmative) → tengamos (let us have)
Nosotros (negative) → no tengamos (let us not have)
Vosotros (affirmative) → tened (have, Spain)
Vosotros (negative) → no tengáis (do not have, Spain)
Ustedes (affirmative) → tengan (have, formal plural)
Ustedes (negative) → no tengan (do not have, formal plural)
Gerund: teniendo (having) Past Participle: tenido (had)
Use 1: Possession
The most basic use of tener is to express ownership or possession of things, people, or qualities.
I have a car. → Tengo un carro.
She has two children. → Tiene dos hijos.
We have a problem. → Tenemos un problema.
Do you have insurance? → ¿Tiene seguro?
He has a lot of experience. → Tiene mucha experiencia.
They have everything they need. → Tienen todo lo que necesitan.
I do not have the documents. → No tengo los documentos.
Do you have a driver's license? → ¿Tiene licencia de conducir?
In workplace contexts:
Healthcare:
Do you have any allergies? → ¿Tiene alguna alergia?
Do you have insurance? → ¿Tiene seguro médico?
She has diabetes. → Tiene diabetes.
Do you have a primary care doctor? → ¿Tiene médico de cabecera?
He has a history of heart disease. → Tiene antecedentes de enfermedades del corazón.
Construction:
Do you have your safety equipment? → ¿Tiene su equipo de seguridad?
We have enough materials for today. → Tenemos suficientes materiales para hoy.
He has ten years of experience in welding. → Tiene diez años de experiencia en soldadura.
Do you have the permit? → ¿Tiene el permiso?
Education:
Do you have your homework? → ¿Tienes tu tarea?
She has a learning disability. → Tiene una discapacidad de aprendizaje.
Do you have the student's file? → ¿Tiene el expediente del estudiante?
We have thirty students in this class. → Tenemos treinta estudiantes en esta clase.
Management:
We have a new policy. → Tenemos una nueva política.
She has the authority to approve this. → Tiene la autoridad para aprobar esto.
Do you have a moment to talk? → ¿Tiene un momento para hablar?
He has all the information he needs. → Tiene toda la información que necesita.
Use 2: Age
Spanish uses tener to express age where English uses "to be." This is one of the most important differences between the two languages and one that learners need to internalize early.
How old are you? → ¿Cuántos años tiene?
I am thirty years old. → Tengo treinta años.
She is forty-five years old. → Tiene cuarenta y cinco años.
He is eighteen years old. → Tiene dieciocho años.
The company is twenty years old. → La empresa tiene veinte años.
How old is the patient? → ¿Cuántos años tiene el paciente?
The child is five years old. → El niño tiene cinco años.
She is over sixty years old. → Tiene más de sesenta años.
Use 3: Physical Sensations
Tener is used for physical sensations where English uses "to be." This is the pattern that surprises English speakers most consistently.
I am hungry. → Tengo hambre.
I am thirsty. → Tengo sed.
I am cold. → Tengo frío.
I am hot. → Tengo calor.
I am sleepy. → Tengo sueño.
I am in a hurry. → Tengo prisa.
I am pain. → Tengo dolor.
Are you cold? → ¿Tiene frío?
Are you hungry? → ¿Tiene hambre?
He is very sleepy. → Tiene mucho sueño.
She is in a lot of pain. → Tiene mucho dolor.
In workplace contexts:
Healthcare:
Are you in pain? → ¿Tiene dolor?
Where does it hurt? → ¿Dónde tiene dolor?
Do you have a fever? → ¿Tiene fiebre?
Are you nauseous? → ¿Tiene náuseas?
Do you feel cold? → ¿Tiene frío?
Construction:
Are you hot? Take a water break. → ¿Tiene calor? Tome un descanso para tomar agua.
If you feel dizzy, stop working and tell me. → Si tiene mareos, deje de trabajar y dígame.
Use 4: Emotional States and Attitudes
Tener is also used for emotional states and psychological experiences where English typically uses "to be" or "to feel."
I am afraid. → Tengo miedo.
She is ashamed. → Tiene vergüenza.
He is lucky. → Tiene suerte.
I am right. → Tengo razón.
You are wrong. → No tiene razón. (literally: you do not have reason)
She is patient. → Tiene paciencia.
He is confidence. → Tiene confianza.
I am hope. → Tengo esperanza.
She has a good attitude. → Tiene buena actitud.
He has no patience today. → No tiene paciencia hoy.
In workplace contexts:
You are right about that. → Tiene razón en eso.
I am afraid we cannot do that. → Tengo miedo de que no podamos hacer eso.
She is very patient with the patients. → Tiene mucha paciencia con los pacientes.
He is lucky to have this job. → Tiene suerte de tener este trabajo.
Use 5: Tener Que — Obligation and Necessity
Tener que + infinitive is one of the most important constructions in Spanish. It expresses obligation or necessity and translates as "have to" or "must."
Structure: tener (conjugated) + que + infinitive
I have to work tomorrow. → Tengo que trabajar mañana.
She has to sign the form. → Tiene que firmar la forma.
We have to finish by Friday. → Tenemos que terminar para el viernes.
He has to attend the training. → Tiene que asistir a la capacitación.
Do you have to work the night shift? → ¿Tiene que trabajar el turno de noche?
They have to wear safety equipment. → Tienen que usar equipo de seguridad.
I had to call an ambulance. → Tuve que llamar a una ambulancia.
She had to stay late. → Tuvo que quedarse tarde.
We will have to reschedule. → Tendremos que reprogramar.
You have to take this medication every day. → Tiene que tomar este medicamento todos los días.
In workplace contexts:
Healthcare:
You have to take this with food. → Tiene que tomar esto con comida.
You have to rest for 48 hours. → Tiene que descansar por 48 horas.
She has to return for a follow-up. → Tiene que regresar para una cita de seguimiento.
We have to notify the family. → Tenemos que notificar a la familia.
Construction:
You have to wear your hard hat at all times. → Tiene que usar el casco en todo momento.
We have to finish the foundation before the rain comes. → Tenemos que terminar la cimentación antes de que llegue la lluvia.
He has to report any safety violations. → Tiene que reportar cualquier violación de seguridad.
Education:
You have to complete the assignment by Monday. → Tienes que completar la tarea para el lunes.
She has to meet with her parents. → Tiene que reunirse con sus padres.
We have to follow the curriculum. → Tenemos que seguir el currículo.
Management:
You have to complete the training by [date]. → Tiene que completar la capacitación para el [fecha].
We have to review the policy before it goes into effect. → Tenemos que revisar la política antes de que entre en vigor.
He has to improve his attendance. → Tiene que mejorar su asistencia.
Use 6: Tener Ganas De — Wanting To / Feeling Like
Tener ganas de + infinitive expresses the desire or inclination to do something. It is one of the most natural ways to express wanting to do something in colloquial Spanish.
I feel like eating. → Tengo ganas de comer.
Do you feel like taking a break? → ¿Tienes ganas de tomar un descanso?
She does not feel like working today. → No tiene ganas de trabajar hoy.
He feels like going home. → Tiene ganas de irse a casa.
We feel like celebrating. → Tenemos ganas de celebrar.
Use 7: Expressions With Tener
Tener appears in dozens of fixed expressions that are essential for natural Spanish communication. These cannot be translated literally and must be learned as complete units.
Physical and emotional expressions:
To be hungry → tener hambre
To be thirsty → tener sed
To be cold → tener frío
To be hot → tener calor
To be sleepy → tener sueño
To be afraid → tener miedo
To be ashamed → tener vergüenza
To be lucky → tener suerte
To be right → tener razón
To be in a hurry → tener prisa
To be pain → tener dolor
To be careful → tener cuidado
To feel like → tener ganas de
To be patient → tener paciencia
To be successful → tener éxito
To have faith → tener fe
To have hope → tener esperanza
To have confidence → tener confianza
Workplace and practical expressions:
To have a meeting → tener una reunión
To have an appointment → tener una cita
To have a problem → tener un problema
To have experience → tener experiencia
To have authority → tener autoridad
To have responsibility → tener responsabilidad
To have a deadline → tener una fecha límite
To have questions → tener preguntas
To have doubts → tener dudas
To have difficulty → tener dificultad
To have access → tener acceso
To have permission → tener permiso
To have a day off → tener un día libre
To have a shift → tener un turno
To have an obligation → tener una obligación
In workplace sentences:
Be careful with the chemicals. → Tenga cuidado con los químicos.
She has an appointment at three. → Tiene una cita a las tres.
We have a meeting tomorrow morning. → Tenemos una reunión mañana por la mañana.
Do you have any questions? → ¿Tiene alguna pregunta?
He has a lot of experience with this equipment. → Tiene mucha experiencia con este equipo.
I have doubts about this approach. → Tengo dudas sobre este enfoque.
She has permission to leave early. → Tiene permiso para salir temprano.
They have responsibility for this area. → Tienen responsabilidad por esta área.
Do you have access to this system? → ¿Tiene acceso a este sistema?
We have a deadline on Friday. → Tenemos una fecha límite el viernes.
Tener in the Preterite vs. the Imperfect
Like all Spanish verbs, the meaning of tener shifts slightly depending on whether the preterite or imperfect is used in past contexts.
Preterite: expresses that possession or an experience occurred at a specific moment or for a completed period.
I had a meeting yesterday. → Tuve una reunión ayer.
She had a fever last night. → Tuvo fiebre anoche.
We had to stop the work because of the rain. → Tuvimos que parar el trabajo por la lluvia.
He had the information but did not share it. → Tuvo la información pero no la compartió.
Imperfect: expresses ongoing possession or habitual experience in the past.
She always had patience with her patients. → Siempre tenía paciencia con sus pacientes.
When I was a child I had a lot of energy. → Cuando era niño tenía mucha energía.
The company used to have fifty employees. → La empresa tenía cincuenta empleados.
He always had the right answer. → Siempre tenía la respuesta correcta.
The meaning shift with tener in preterite vs. imperfect:
Tener is one of the verbs that changes meaning in the preterite. In the imperfect, tenía simply means "had" (ongoing possession). In the preterite, tuve can mean "received" or "got" (the moment of acquisition).
I had the report. → Tenía el informe. (I was in possession of it — ongoing)
I got the report. → Tuve el informe. (I received it at a specific moment)
She had a son. → Tuvo un hijo. (she gave birth to him — specific event)
She had a son. → Tenía un hijo. (she was the mother of a son — ongoing state)
Tener in Real Workplace Conversations
Healthcare:
Do you have any allergies? → ¿Tiene alguna alergia?
How old are you? → ¿Cuántos años tiene?
Are you in pain? → ¿Tiene dolor?
Do you have insurance? → ¿Tiene seguro?
You have to take this medication every morning. → Tiene que tomar este medicamento todas las mañanas.
She has a history of high blood pressure. → Tiene antecedentes de presión alta.
Do you have a primary care doctor? → ¿Tiene médico de cabecera?
He has to return for a follow-up appointment. → Tiene que regresar para una cita de seguimiento.
Are you nauseous? → ¿Tiene náuseas?
Do you have any questions about your treatment? → ¿Tiene alguna pregunta sobre su tratamiento?
Construction:
Do you have your hard hat? → ¿Tiene su casco?
We have to finish the pour before noon. → Tenemos que terminar el vaciado antes del mediodía.
He has ten years of experience. → Tiene diez años de experiencia.
Be careful with the power tools. → Tenga cuidado con las herramientas eléctricas.
Do you have the right equipment for this job? → ¿Tiene el equipo adecuado para este trabajo?
We have a safety inspection tomorrow. → Tenemos una inspección de seguridad mañana.
He had to stop working because of the heat. → Tuvo que dejar de trabajar por el calor.
Education:
Do you have your homework? → ¿Tienes tu tarea?
How old is the student? → ¿Cuántos años tiene el estudiante?
She has a learning disability. → Tiene una discapacidad de aprendizaje.
You have to be here by eight. → Tienes que estar aquí a las ocho.
Do you have any questions about the assignment? → ¿Tienes alguna pregunta sobre la tarea?
We have a parent conference next week. → Tenemos una conferencia de padres la próxima semana.
He had difficulty with the exam. → Tuvo dificultad con el examen.
Management and HR:
Do you have a moment to talk? → ¿Tiene un momento para hablar?
She has the authority to approve this. → Tiene la autoridad para aprobar esto.
We have to review the results before the meeting. → Tenemos que revisar los resultados antes de la reunión.
He has to complete the training by Friday. → Tiene que completar la capacitación para el viernes.
Do you have any questions about the new policy? → ¿Tiene alguna pregunta sobre la nueva política?
She has five years of experience in HR. → Tiene cinco años de experiencia en recursos humanos.
We had a problem with the schedule last week. → Tuvimos un problema con el horario la semana pasada.
Common Mistakes With Tener
Using ser or estar for age. Soy treinta años and estoy treinta años are both incorrect. Tengo treinta años is the only correct form. Age always uses tener in Spanish.
Using ser or estar for physical sensations. Soy hambriento or estoy hambrienta are both possible but less natural in everyday speech than tengo hambre. The tener + noun construction is the standard idiomatic form for most physical sensations.
Forgetting que in tener que. Tengo trabajar is incorrect. Tengo que trabajar is correct. The que is mandatory in the obligation construction.
Using tener for the progressive. Tengo trabajando is incorrect. The progressive uses estar: estoy trabajando. Tener does not form the progressive.
Translating tener razón literally. Tengo razón means "I am right," not "I have a reason." This is one of the most important idiomatic uses of tener and one that must be learned as a fixed expression.
Confusing preterite and imperfect tener. Tuve un hijo means she gave birth to a son (specific event). Tenía un hijo means she had a son (ongoing state). The distinction carries real meaning and matters for accurate communication.
A Quick Reference: The Most Important Tener Expressions
To have → tener
To have to (obligation) → tener que + infinitive
To feel like (desire) → tener ganas de + infinitive
To be hungry → tener hambre
To be thirsty → tener sed
To be cold → tener frío
To be hot → tener calor
To be sleepy → tener sueño
To be afraid → tener miedo
To be ashamed → tener vergüenza
To be lucky → tener suerte
To be right → tener razón
To be in a hurry → tener prisa
To be careful → tener cuidado
To be [age] years old → tener [number] años
Tener Is the Verb of Experience
Every time you describe what someone possesses, how old they are, how they feel physically, what they are afraid of, what they are obligated to do, or what they feel like doing, you are reaching for tener. It is one of the highest-frequency verbs in everyday Spanish precisely because it covers so much of the territory of human experience. Once every form and every major expression is working for you, tener stops being a vocabulary item and starts being a genuine tool for expressing the full range of what your workplace conversations require.
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