The verb “tener” is a superverb, because it has multiple meanings and we use it a lot, so read this carefully if you want to speak good Spanish. One of the problems with this verb, and with many other aspects of the language, is that there are many people saying wrong things. For example, you will here that “tener” is “to have”. This is not correct.
To say “to have”, we have to verbs in Spanish: “haber” and “tener”. Compare this:
TENGO un perro. I HAVE a dog. So here, TENGO is I HAVE.
But what happens now?
HE caminado con mi perro. I HAVE walked with my dog. HE CAMINADO is I HAVE WALKED.
In the first case, TENGO belongs to “tener”, but in the second case, HE belongs to another verb, “haber”. Don’t worry, we will study “haber” in another blog.
Another little problem is that sometimes we use the verb “to be” in English and “tener” in Spanish, for example:
TENGO quince años. I AM 15 years old.
TENGO frío. I AM cold.
TENGO calor. I AM hot. Etc.
So, “tener” could be “to have” or “to be”, depending on the context, but “to have” could be “tener” or “haber”, also depending on the context. Remember: when you study a new language, you cannot think in 1 to 1 translations. Languages have different structures.
Time to see when to use “tener” now!
-TO EXPRESS POSSESSION: Tengo dos gatos. I have two cats.
-TO SAY THE AGE: Tengo quince años. I am 15 years old.
-FOR PHYSICAL SENSATIONS:
Tengo frío porque es invierno. I am cold because it is winter.
Cuando tengo calor, voy a la playa. When I am hot, I go to the beach.
Si tengo hambre, prefiero comer pizza. If I am hungry, I prefer to eat pizza.
Y si tengo sed, bebo limonada. And if I am thirsty, I drink lemonade.
Duermo cuando tengo sueño. I sleep when I am sleepy.
Tengo dolor de cabeza. I have a headache.
-FOR PSYCHOLOGICAL SENSATIONS:
Tengo prisa porque empieza mi clase. I am in a hurry because my lesson starts.
No tengo miedo del examen. I’m not afraid of the exam.
Tengo confianza en mí. I am self-confident.
Generalmente, mis respuestas tienen sentido. Generally, my answers make sense.
Pero tengo vergüenza cuando hablo en español. But I am embarrassed when talking in Spanish.
Tengo cuidado con mi pronunciación, pero no es buena. I am careful with my pronunciation, but it’s not good.
Tengo un sueño: hablar perfectamente en otro idioma. I have a dream: to talk perfectly in another language.
Tengo celos de mi hermano, que habla francés. I am jealous of my brother, who speaks French.
-TO EXPRESS OBLIGATION:
When talking about obligations, we have two options:
Debo trabajar. I must work.
Tengo que trabajar. I have to work.
Remember that, if you decide to use “tener” with this meaning, it is always followed by the pronoun “que”, as in:
Hoy tengo que estudiar química. I have to study Chemistry today.
-FOR FIXED EXPRESSIONS:
Si tengo suerte, aprobaré este examen. If I am lucky, I will pass this exam.
Luego, tengo ganas de comer una pizza con Emily. Then, I feel like eating a pizza with Emily.
Ella tiene razón: como demasiada pizza. She is right: I eat too much pizza.
Pero yo no tengo la culpa. Siempre hay pizza en casa. But I am not to blame. There is always pizza at home.
Sin embargo, tengo en cuenta que no es muy saludable. However, I take into account that it is not very healthy.
Hoy voy a un partido que tiene lugar en Wembley. Today, I go to a match that takes place in Wembley.
Si tenemos éxito, celebramos con mis amigos. If we are successful, we celebrate with my friends.
Lo que dices tiene sentido. What you say makes sense.
Start using all these forms on a regular basis when talking, try to create phrases and put them in your conversation, going through all of them. This will enhance your oral skills!
I have also made a video about this topic.
