Spanish Word of the Day: Tener (to have)

The verb tener is one of the most useful and versatile verbs in Spanish.  Tener comes from the Latin verb tenēre, which means to hold or to possess. The Latin root ten- is found in various Romance languages and retains similar meanings related to possession or holding. The Indo-European root ten- means to stretch or to hold, which we see reflected in other words like tenacious (meaning persistent, or holding firm) and tenant (one who holds land).

In its most basic form, tener is used to express possession, much like to have in English. It indicates ownership or possession of tangible and intangible items, but its uses go far beyond simple possession. For example, in Spanish, age is expressed using the verb tener. Instead of saying I am 30 years old as in English, you say Tengo 30 años – literally, I have 30 years. This construction may feel unusual for English speakers at first, but it’s one of the most essential uses of tener in everyday Spanish conversation.

Similar to English, tener can also express obligation or necessity. In this case, tener is followed by the conjunction que, translating to English as have to. It indicates that the subject is required or obligated to perform a certain action. This use of tener que is extremely common in everyday conversations and is a go-to construction for expressing duties, responsibilities, or things that must be done.

In addition to possession, age and obligation, many physical sensations and emotional states that use to be in English use tener in Spanish. The idea is that these feelings or sensations are possessed by the subject. Here are some useful examples:

• tener hambre = to be hungry (to have hunger)
• tener sed = to be thirsty (to have thirst)
• tener frío = to be cold (to have cold)
• tener calor = to be hot (to have heat)
• tener miedo = to be afraid (to have fear)
• tener sueño =to be sleepy (to have sleepiness)
• tener resaca = to be hungover (to have a hangover)

Fun Fact:

The word for resaca (hangover) in Spanish varies widely across different countries. While resaca is the most common term in Spain and Mexico, other regions have their own colourful slang. In Colombia, for example, guayabo (literally guava tree) is used, while cruda is popular in Mexico. In Central America, goma is common in countries like Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua. In Ecuador, people use chuchaqui, and in Venezuela, a hangover is called ratón (mouse).

You can find many idiomatic expressions that use tener. These expressions are fixed phrases where the meaning is not always literal, but rather figurative or context-dependent. Most of these expression would translate to English using the verb to be. Here are some examples:

• tener razón = to be right (to have reason
• tener prisa = to be in a hurry (to have hurry)
• tener suerte = to be lucky (to have luck)
• tener cuidado = to be careful (to have care)
• tener éxito = to be successful (to have success)
• tener prisa = to be in a hurry (to have hurry)
• tener razón = to be right (to have reason)
• tener en cuenta = to take into account (to have in account)
• tener éxito = to be successful (to have success)

Now, going into the grammar of the verb tener, keep in mind that as an irregular verb, it deviates from regular conjugation patterns, especially in the present, preterite, and subjunctive tenses. Here are some of its key forms:

• Present:
  • Yo tengo (I have)
  • Tú tienes (You have)
  • Él/Ella/Usted tiene (He/She/You (formal) have)

• Preterite (past tense for completed actions):
  • Yo tuve (I had)
  • Tú tuviste (You had)

• Future:
  • Yo tendré (I will have)

• Subjunctive:
  • Que yo tenga (That I may have)

Spanish idioms featuring ‘tener’