tener – to hold
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tener (irr. v) – to have, hold, have got, measure/be (age)

Present

tengo, tienes, tiene, tenamos, tenéis, tienen

Preterite

tuve, tuviste, tuvo, tuvimos, tuvisteis, tuvieron

Imperative: ten, tened
Participles: teniendo, tenido


Tengo sed – I have thirst
Tengo vientiuno años – I am 21
¿Tienes sellos? – Do you have stamps?

que tengas un buen viaje/día/fin de semana – have a good trip/day/weekend

que – that, the phrase is effectively: (I hope) that ... with the ‘I hope’ omitted, i.e.: espero que tengas un buen día

tengas – have (present subjunctive )

Ten cuidado – take care

Playing cards:

tienes el señor Bacon?   Si, aquí la tienes / No la tengo.

(te toca a tí – your turn)

See also haber.


Necessity, should, must (weak); tener que + infinitive

tengo que estudiar – I have to study

tienes que estudiar – you must study

tenemos que irnos ahora mismo – we have to leave (irse, go away) right now

tiene/teneís que tomar la primera calle ... – you (sing/pl) must take the first street ...

tuve que parar – I had to stop.

Note the more impersonal hay que + infinitive – one needs to

hay que tomar un taxi – it is necessary to take a taxi.

hay que estudiar mucho – one must study a lot.

... and also the stronger debe + infinitive

debo estudiar – I must study

debe tomar ... – you must take ...

tener que + inf is weaker than deber + inf  (the latter is unarguable, like shall in English standards-speak)

See also imperative for direct instructions, e.g.:

tome ... – take ...


tener – to hold was last edited on 2021-06-27  
Topic: Spanish