Tener Conjugation: Complete Guide to 'To Have'

When David arrived in Buenos Aires for his semester abroad, he could handle basic greetings and order food. But within hours, he realized how much he needed one specific verb. His host family asked his age (tengo), he needed to say he was hungry (tengo hambre), cold (tengo frío), and tired (tengo sueño). Then his roommate told him they had to leave early for class (tenemos que salir). In one evening, David used tener more than any other verb—and he kept getting the forms wrong.

That experience is universal. Tener is everywhere in Spanish because it doesn't just mean "to have." It expresses age, physical sensations, emotions, obligations, and desires. It's the verb that unlocks dozens of essential expressions, and mastering its forms across tenses is one of the highest-impact things you can do as a learner.

Why Tener Is So Important

In English, you say "I am hungry," "I am 25," "I am cold." In Spanish, all of these use tener instead of ser or estar:

• Tengo hambre. (I'm hungry — literally: I have hunger.)
• Tengo 25 años. (I'm 25 years old — literally: I have 25 years.)
• Tengo frío. (I'm cold — literally: I have cold.)

This is one of the biggest mental shifts for English speakers. Once you stop translating literally and start thinking in tener, your Spanish sounds dramatically more natural.

Present Tense (Presente)

The first person is irregular (tengo), and the tú/él/ellos forms have an e→ie stem change.

Example sentences:

• Tengo dos hermanos. (I have two siblings.)
• ¿Tienes tiempo? (Do you have time?)
• Tiene razón. (He/She is right.)
• Tenemos que hablar. (We need to talk.)

Preterite (Pretérito Indefinido)

The preterite stem changes completely: tuv-. Use it for completed past states.

Example sentences:

• Tuve una reunión a las diez. (I had a meeting at ten.)
• Tuvimos suerte. (We were lucky — literally: We had luck.)
• Tuvieron que cancelar el vuelo. (They had to cancel the flight.)

Imperfect (Pretérito Imperfecto)

Completely regular. Use it for ongoing or habitual past states.

Example sentences:

• Cuando era niño, tenía un perro. (When I was a kid, I had a dog.)
• Siempre teníamos hambre después de la clase. (We were always hungry after class.)
• Tenía miedo de la oscuridad. (I was afraid of the dark.)

Preterite vs Imperfect with Tener

Future Tense (Futuro Simple)

Irregular stem: tendr- (not "tener-").

Example: Mañana tendré más tiempo. (Tomorrow I'll have more time.)

Conditional (Condicional Simple)

Same irregular stem: tendr-.

Example: Tendría más energía si durmiera mejor. (I'd have more energy if I slept better.)

Present Subjunctive (Subjuntivo Presente)

Built from the irregular first-person stem teng-:

Example sentences:

• Espero que tengas un buen día. (I hope you have a good day.)
• No creo que tenga razón. (I don't think he's right.)
• Quiero que tengamos más tiempo juntos. (I want us to have more time together.)

Comparison: Tener Que vs Hay Que

Both express obligation, but they work differently:

More examples:

• Tienes que llegar a tiempo. (You have to arrive on time.) — directed at "you"
• Hay que llegar a tiempo. (One must arrive on time.) — general rule

Essential Tener Expressions

These are among the most common phrases in spoken Spanish. Learn them as fixed vocabulary chunks:

Physical States

• tener hambre — to be hungry
• tener sed — to be thirsty
• tener frío — to be cold
• tener calor — to be hot
• tener sueño — to be sleepy

Emotions and States

• tener miedo (de) — to be afraid (of)
• tener vergüenza — to be embarrassed
• tener celos — to be jealous
• tener ganas de — to feel like (doing something)
• tener prisa — to be in a hurry

Other Essential Phrases

• tener razón — to be right
• tener la culpa — to be at fault
• tener cuidado — to be careful
• tener éxito — to be successful
• tener lugar — to take place
• tener en cuenta — to take into account
• tener sentido — to make sense

Common Mistakes and How to Fix Them

1. Using ser for age: "Soy 25 años" → Tengo 25 años. Spanish uses tener for age.
2. Using estar for physical states: "Estoy hambre" → Tengo hambre. Hunger, thirst, cold, and heat use tener.
3. Regular preterite endings: "Tení" → Tuve. The preterite stem is tuv-, not ten-.
4. Future stem error: "Teneré" → Tendré. The future stem is tendr-.
5. Confusing tener que and hay que: "Hay que estudio" → Tengo que estudiar (personal) or Hay que estudiar (impersonal). Both need an infinitive, not a conjugated verb.

Step-by-Step Plan: Mastering Tener in 7 Days

• Day 1: Memorize the present tense. Write five sentences about what you have and how you feel using tener.
• Day 2: Learn all physical/emotional tener expressions. Write a paragraph describing how you feel right now.
• Day 3: Learn tener que. Write five things you have to do today, five things you had to do yesterday (tuve que).
• Day 4: Learn the preterite (tuv-). Describe what you had or experienced last week.
• Day 5: Learn the imperfect. Describe what you used to have as a child: "Tenía un perro," "Tenía miedo de…"
• Day 6: Learn the future and conditional (tendr-). Talk about what you'll have and what you'd have.
• Day 7: Review all tenses. Write a short story using tener in at least four different tenses.

Practice Exercises

Exercise 1 — Fill in the present tense:

1. Yo ___ 28 años. (tengo)
2. ¿ ___ tú hambre? (Tienes)
3. Nosotros ___ que irnos. (tenemos)

Exercise 2 — Tener expression or ser/estar?

1. I'm cold → ___ frío. (Tengo)
2. I'm a doctor → ___ médico. (Soy)
3. I'm in a hurry → ___ prisa. (Tengo)
4. I'm at home → ___ en casa. (Estoy)

Exercise 3 — Preterite or imperfect?

1. ___ una reunión ayer a las tres. (Tuve — specific completed event)
2. Cuando era joven, ___ mucha energía. (tenía — ongoing past state)
3. ___ que salir temprano porque llovía. (Tuve — completed obligation)

Make Tener Automatic Through Daily Practice

Tener is the kind of verb you use dozens of times a day without thinking—once you've internalized the forms. Talk about your age, your feelings, your obligations, your plans. Every sentence is a rep. If you want structured daily practice with instant feedback on your tener expressions, try Parlai and start using tener in real conversations today.