How to use tener

IDIOMATIC EXPRESSIONS WITH "TENER"

An idiom is an expression that cannot be immediately understood by analyzing its literal meaning. A few examples of idioms in English are:

to be “on the go”
to “play the field”
to “jump the gun”

Spanish also has many idiomatic expressions. Although their literal translations sound odd to English speakers, they sound perfectly natural to native speakers. Here is one example:

Idiom: Hace mucho frío

Literally: It makes much cold

True Meaning: It is very cold

There are many idiomatic expressions that use the verb tener. This one expresses age:

Idiom: tener _____ años

Literally: to have _____ years

True Meaning: to be _____ years old

Many other expressions using tener express physical sensations:

tener frío

to be cold

tener calor

to be hot

tener hambre

to be hungry

tener sed

to be thirsty

tener sueño

to be sleepy

tener dolor de

to hurt or be sore, etc.

There are also many idiomatic expressions with tener that express sensations more psychological in nature:

tener prisa

to be in a hurry

tener miedo a/de + noun

to be afraid of something

tener miedo a/de + infinitive

to be afraid to do something

tener celos

to be jealous

tener confianza

to be confident

tener cuidado

to be careful

tener vergüenza

to be ashamed

There are other idiomatic expressions with tener as well:

tener razón

to be right

tener éxito

to be successful

tener la culpa

to be guilty

tener suerte

to be lucky

tener lugar

to take place

tener ganas de

to feel like

tener en cuenta

to take into account

When using these idiomatic expressions, conjugate the verb (tener) according to the subject of the sentence.

Yo tengo cinco años.
Tú tienes ocho años.
Pablo tiene dos años.

Notice that the expressions combine the verb tener with a noun:

• el año
• los celos
• el frío
• la confianza
• el calor
• el cuidado
• el hambre (feminine)
• la vergüenza
• la sed
• la razón
• el sueño
• el éxito
• el dolor
• la culpa
• la prisa
• la suerte
• el miedo
• el lugar

Because the expressions with tener use nouns, they are modified with adjectives, not adverbs.

Tengo frío.
Tengo mucho frío. (not muy)

The first practice exercise and test will cover ten of the most common and useful of these expressions:

• tener _____ años
• tener calor
• tener frío
• tener hambre
• tener sed
• tener prisa
• tener miedo a/de _____
• tener razón
• tener suerte

TENER QUE, HAY QUE

Notes:

1. The written lesson is below.
2. Links to quizzes, tests, etc. are to the left.

Tener que + infinitive is one way to express obligation or necessity. This expression can be translated as “someone has to do something.” Tener is conjugated according to the subject of the sentence.

Tengo que comer las verduras.
I have to eat the vegetables.

Ángel tiene que leer el periódico.
Ángel has to read the newspaper.

Ellos tienen que comprar una revista.
They have to buy a magazine.

Hay que + infinitive is used to express the idea of “one must do something” or, “it is necessary to do something.” It is a more general expression and since there is no subject, the verb form hay is always used.

Hay que tomar un taxi.
It is necessary to take a taxi.

Hay que estudiar mucho.
One must study a lot.

These examples illustrate the contrasting uses of these two expressions:

María tiene un examen el lunes. Ella tiene que estudiar.
María has a test on Monday. She has to study.

No es fácil aprender el español. Hay que practicar mucho.
It isn’t easy to learn Spanish. It is necessary to practice a lot.

IRREGULAR VERBS: TENER AND VENIR

“Tener” and “venir” are both irregular verbs. Because they are irregular, you must memorize their conjugations. We present these two verbs together because they are very similar in the way they are conjugated:

Tener
to have
venir
to come

tengo / vengo
tienes / vienes
tiene / viene
tenemos / venimos
tenéis / venís
tienen / vienen

POSSESSIVE ADJECTIVES

Possessive adjectives are used to show ownership.

mi libro
my book

tu pluma
your pen

There are five possessive adjectives.

mi
tu
su

nuestro
vuestro

Three possessive adjectives (mi, tu, su) have only two forms, singular and plural.

mi
mis

tu
tus

su
sus

Possessive adjectives agree with the nouns they modify. That is, they agree with the thing possessed, not the possessor.

mi libro

my book

mis libros

my books

tu pluma

your pen

tus plumas

your pens

Mi, tu and su do not have masculine and feminine forms. They stay the same, regardless of the gender of the nouns they modify.

mi amigo
mi amiga

tus hermanos
tus hermanas

su libro
sus plumas

Mi means “my” ; tu means “your.”

Mi casa es tu casa.
My house is your house.

Su, like tu, can mean “your.” The difference between your (tu) and your (su) lies in the degree of formality the speaker wishes to convey.

Mi casa es tu casa.
(speaking to someone you would address as “tú”)

Mi casa es su casa.
(speaking to someone you would address as “usted”)

Note: The two words “tu” and “tú” are pronounced the same. Tú (with the written accent) is the subject pronoun meaning “you” (informal). Tu (without the written accent) is the possessive adjective meaning “your” (informal).

Su has four meanings: his, her, their and your (formal).

María busca a su hermana.
María is looking for her sister.

Juan busca a su hermana.
Juan is looking for his sister.

Ellos buscan a su hermana.
They are looking for their sister.

Su madre busca a su hermana.
Your mother is looking for your sister.

If the meaning of su is not clear from the context of the sentence, a prepositional phrase is used in place of su.

María busca a la hermana de él.
María looks for his sister.

El hombre busca las llaves de ella.
The man looks for her keys.

María busca el cuaderno de Juan.
María looks for Juan’s notebook.

El hombre busca las llaves de Samanta.
The man looks for Samanta’s keys.

Two possessive adjectives (nuestro and vuestro) have four forms.

nuestro
nuestra
nuestros
nuestras

vuestro
vuestra
vuestros
vuestras

Nuestro means “our.”

nuestro hermano

our brother

nuestra hermana

our sister

nuestros hermanos

our brothers

nuestras hermanas

our sisters

Vuestro means “your” (familiar, plural). Like vosotros, vuestro is primarily used in Spain.

vuestro libro

your book

vuestra pluma

your pen

vuestros libros

your books

vuestras plumas

your pens

Here are all of the possessive adjectives:

mi(s)
my

tu(s)
your (fam. sing.)

su(s)
his, her, your (formal), their

nuestro(-a, -os, -as)
our

vuestro(-a, -os, -as)
your (fam. pl.)

Note that these possessive adjectives are not used with articles of clothing or body parts. Rather, the definite article is used.

Me gusta el vestido nuevo.
I like my new dress

Me duele el brazo.
My arm hurts.

Questions

In Spanish, there may be several ways to ask the same question. Note the inverted question mark that begins each question.

¿María habla español?
Does Maria speak Spanish?

¿Habla María español?
Does Maria speak Spanish?

¿Habla español María?
Does Maria speak Spanish?

The following questions mean exactly the same thing:

Does María speak Spanish?

¿María habla español?
¿Habla María español?
¿Habla español María?

Possible answers would be:

Sí, María habla español.
No, María no habla español.

Another method of forming questions is to add a tag question to the end of a statement.

María habla español, ¿no?
Maria speaks Spanish, doesn’t she?

María habla español, ¿verdad?
Maria speaks Spanish, right?

Common words used to introduce other questions are:

¿Adónde?
¿Dónde?
¿De dónde?
¿Cómo?
¿Cuál (-es)?
¿Cuándo?
¿Cuánto (-a)?
¿Cuántos (-as)?
¿Qué?
¿De qué?
¿Quién (-es)?
¿A quién (-es)?
¿Con quién (-es)?
¿De quién (-es)?
¿Por qué?
¿Para qué?

Note: Each has a written accent mark.

Notice how the subject and verbs are inverted. That is, the subject comes after the verb.

¿Qué estudia Pilar?
What does Pilar study?

¿Cuándo comen ustedes?
When do you-all eat?

¿Dónde está mi coche?
Where is my car?

¿Cuánto cuesta la corbata?
How much does the tie cost?

¿Dónde? means “Where?” ¿Adónde? means “To where?” Thus, dónde asks for a location, while adónde asks for a destination.

¿Dónde está la biblioteca?
Where is the library?

¿Adónde va Raúl?
Where is Raul going?
(Literally: To where goes Raul?)

¿De dónde? means “From where?”

¿De dónde es Gerardo?
Where is Gerardo from?

¿Cómo? means “How?”

¿Cómo está usted?
How are you?

¿Cuál? and ¿Cuáles? mean “What?” or “Which?”

¿Cuál es tu nombre?
What is your name?

¿Cuáles son tus libros favoritos?
What (Which) are your favorite books?

¿Cuándo? means “When?”

¿Cuándo van a ir ustedes?
When are you-all going to go?

¿Cuánto(-a)? means “How much?”

¿Cuánto dinero gana Eduardo?
How much money does Eduardo earn?

¿Cuántos(-as)? means “How many?”

¿Cuántas chicas hay en la clase?
How many girls are there in the class?

¿Qué? means “What?”

¿Qué es la libertad?
What is liberty?

¿Qué estudias?
What do you study?

¿De qué? means “About what?” or “Of what?”

¿De qué material es la pluma?
What is the pen made of?
Literally: Of what material is the pen?

¿De qué hablan ustedes?
What are you-all talking about?
Literally: Of what do you-all speak?

¿Quién(-es)? means “Who?”

¿Quién es Gregorio?
Who is Gregorio?

¿Quiénes son esos chicos?
Who are those boys?

¿A quién(-es)? means “Whom?”

¿A quién buscas?
For whom are you looking?

¿A quiénes vas a dar tantos libros?
To whom are you going to give so many books?

¿Con quién(-es)? means “With whom?”

¿Con quién hablo?
With whom am I speaking?

¿Con quiénes estudia Mario?
With whom does Mario study?

¿De quién(-es)? means “Whose?”

¿De quién es aquel sombrero?
Whose hat is that?

¿De quiénes son estas monedas?
Whose coins are these?

¿Por qué? means “Why? (for what reason)”

¿Por qué estudias español?
For what reason do you study Spanish?

Possible answer:

Porque es un requisito.
Because it’s required.

¿Para qué? means “Why? (for what purpose)”

¿Para qué estudias español?
For what purpose do you study Spanish?

Possible answer:

Para ser profesor de español.
In order to become a Spanish teacher.

When used with the verb ser, cuál and qué can both mean “what,” but they are not interchangeable. Cuál is more common, and is used to indicate a selection, or choice of possibilities. Qué is used to elicit a definition or an explanation.

¿Cuál es la capital de España?
What is the capital of Spain?

¿Qué es la capital?
What is the (definition of) capital?

NEGATION

You have already learned how to make simple affirmative statements.

Ella habla inglés.
She speaks English.

Él es profesor.
He is a professor.

To make a sentence negative, place the word “no” before the verb.

Ella no habla inglés.
She doesn’t speak English.

Él no es profesor.
He is not a professor.

When the answer to a question is negative, two negative words are required.

¿Habla Ud. español? (Do you speak Spanish?)
No. No hablo español. (No. I don’t speak Spanish.)

¿ Está Gerardo en la clase? (Is Gerardo in the class?)
No. Gerardo no está en la clase. (No. Gerardo is not in the class.)

¿Siempre estudias? (Do you always study?)
No, nunca estudio. (No, I never study.)

Study the following list of affirmative words and their negative counterparts:

algo (something)
nada (nothing)

alguien (somebody)
nadie (nobody)

algún (-o, -a, -os, -as) (some, something)
ningún (-o, -a, -os, -as) (no, none)

siempre (always)
nunca (never) jamás (never, ever)

también (also)
tampoco (neither, not either)

o . . . o (either . . . or)
ni . . . ni (neither . . . nor)

The negative words can be used alone, preceding the verb.

Nadie habla.
Nobody speaks.

Él nunca come.
He never eats.

Alfredo tampoco baila.
Alfredo doesn’t dance either.

The negative words can also be used with the word “no,” following the verb. Note that unlike English, double negatives are acceptable in Spanish.

No habla nadie.
Nobody speaks.

Él no come nunca.
He never eats.

Alfredo no baila tampoco .
Alfredo doesn’t dance either.

Sometimes, three negative words occur in the same sentence.

No compro nada nunca.
I never buy anything.

Él no compra nada tampoco.
He doesn’t buy anything either.

You can even have four negative words in the same sentence.

Yo no veo nunca a nadie tampoco.
I never see anybody either.

Unlike English, Spanish does not normally mix negative and affirmative words.

English
Maria doesn’t need anything.
NOT Maria doesn’t need nothing.

Spanish
María no necesita nada.
NOT María no necesita algo.

Alguno and ninguno drop the -o before a masculine singular noun.

¿Tienes algún libro?
No, no tengo ningún libro.

Ninguno(-a) is generally used in the singular.

¿Tienes algunas revistas?
No, no tengo ninguna.

¿Tienes algunos libros?
No, no tengo ninguno.

The plural of ninguno(-a) is used only when the noun it modifies exists only in plural, or is normally used in plural.

Ningunas vacaciones a Alaska son completas sin una excursión a Mt. McKinley.
No vacation to Alaska is complete without a trip to Mt. McKinley.

In this example “ningunas” is used because “vacaciones” is normally used in plural form.

Ser and Estar Part 4

SER AND ESTAR: PART IV

In the previous three lessons you learned the fundamental difference between ser and estar — essence or condition, as well as some common uses for each verb. This lesson presents the two verbs side by side, with the emphasis on contrasting their uses. In the process, much — but not all — of the previous three lessons will be reviewed. The practice exercises and the test cover material from all four lessons (Ser and Estar Parts I-IV).

When the verb “to be” is followed by a noun, the verb ser is always used. In this instance, it might be helpful to think of the verb as equivalent to an “equal” sign, such as a = b. This type of sentence is always referring to essential characteristics, since the verb is “linking” what comes before the verb to what comes after the verb.

John is a doctor.
John = doctor.

Juan es médico.

When the verb “to be” is followed by an adjective, the verb used depends upon the meaning. When referring to an essential characteristic, use ser. When referring to a state or condition, use estar.

La sopa está fría.
The soup is cold.

Los elefantes son grandes.
The elephants are big.

When the verb “to be” is followed by an adjective, the verb can actually change the meaning of the adjective.

El profesor está aburrido.
The professor is bored.

El profesor es aburrido.
The professor is boring.

Let’s distinguish between origin, location, and “to take place.” To describe origin, or where something is from, use ser. To describe location, or where something is located right now, use estar. To tell where an event is taking place, use ser.

Mónica es de España. (origin)
Mónica está en Venezuela. (location)
La fiesta es en la casa de Mónica. (taking place)

Let’s review.

1. When a noun follows the verb, use ser
2. When an adjective follows the verb, decide between “essence” and “condition”
3. To tell where something is from, use ser
4. To tell where something is located right now, use estar
5. To tell where an event is taking place, use ser

SER AND ESTAR: PART 3

SER AND ESTAR: PART III

Notes:

1. The written lesson is below.
2. Links to quizzes, tests, etc. are to the left.

In the previous two lessons you learned the fundamental difference between ser and estar – essence or condition (“what” something is v. “how” something is), as well as some common uses for the verb ser. This lesson examines the other Spanish verb for “to be”: estar.

Estar is used to express geographic or physical locations.

¿Dónde estás?
Where are you?

Estoy en el laboratorio.
I’m in the laboratory.

¿Dónde está Chile?
Where’s Chile?

Chile está en América del Sur.
Chile is in South America.

Note: The one exception to this rule is that ser is used to tell where an event is taking place. (La fiesta es en mi casa.)

Estar is used with adjectives to express a state or condition (“how” something is).

¿Cómo está la sopa?
How’s the soup?

La sopa está fría.
The soup is cold.

¿Cómo estás tú?
How are you?

Estoy muy bien, gracias.
I am very well, thanks.

Estar is used with many idiomatic expressions. These are just a few.

estar de acuerdo

to be in agreement

estar de pie

to be standing

estar en camino

to be on the way

estar en las nubes

to daydream

Estar is used with the progressive tenses. You will learn more about this usage later. We present it now simply because it is an important use of the verb estar.

¿Qué estás comiendo?
What are you eating?

Estoy comiendo arroz y frijoles.
I am eating rice and beans.

Let’s review. Estar is used to express:

1. geographic or physical location
2. state or condition
3. many idiomatic expressions
4. progressive tenses

Ser and Estar Part 2

SER AND ESTAR: PART II

In the previous lesson you learned the fundamental difference between ser and estar – essence or condition. The examples used the verbs in conjunction with adjectives to clearly illustrate this point. In practice, ser and estar are not always used with adjectives, nor is it always easy for the non-native speaker to choose between the two verbs. Therefore, it is extremely useful to learn some concrete rules for deciding when to use ser or estar. This lesson examines some common uses for the verb ser.

Ser is used to express the hour, day, and date.

¿Qué hora es?
What time is it?

Son las dos.
It’s two o’clock.

¿Qué día es hoy?
What day is today?

Hoy es lunes.
Today’s Monday.

¿Qué fecha es hoy?
What’s the date today?

Es el cinco de mayo.
It’s May fifth.

Ser is used to express place of origin.

¿De dónde eres tú?
Where are you from?

Soy de Colombia.
I’m from Colombia.

Ser is used to express occupation.

¿Cuál es tu trabajo?
What do you do?

Soy carpintero
I’m a carpenter.

Ser is used to express nationality.

¿Es ella puertorriqueña?
Is she Puerto Rican?

No, es guatemalteca.
No, she’s Guatemalan.

Ser is used to express religious or political affiliation.

¿Son los García bautistas?
Are the Garcias Baptists?

No, son católicos.
No, they’re Catholics.

¿Es el gobierno socialista?
Is the government socialist?

No, es comunista.
No, it’s communist.

Ser is used to express the material something is made of.

¿De qué material es la mesa?
What’s the table made of?

Es de madera.
It’s made of wood.

Ser is used to express possession.

¿De quién es la pluma?
Whose pen is it?

Es de Emilio.
It’s Emilio’s.

Ser is used to express the relationship of one person to another.

¿Quién es Rogelio?
Who is Roger?

Es el esposo de Marta.
He’s Martha’s husband.

Ser is used with certain impersonal expressions.

Es importante practicar cada día.
It’s important to practice every day.

Es necesario hablar mucho.
It’s necessary to speak a lot.

Ser is used to tell where an event is taking place.

La película es en el cine.
The movie is at the theatre.

La fiesta es en el club Fantástico.
The party is in the Fantastic Club.

Ser is used with adjectives to express inherent, or essential qualities.

Miguel es un hombre sincero.
Mike is a sincere man.

También es guapo.
He’s also handsome.

Let’s review. Ser is used to express:

1. the hour, day, and date
2. place of origin
3. occupation
4. nationality
5. religious or political affiliation
6. the material something is made of
7. possession
8. relationship of one person to another
9. certain impersonal expressions
10. where an event is taking place
11. essential qualities

Ser and Estar Part 1

SER AND ESTAR: PART I

Notes:

1. The written lesson is below.
2. Links to quizzes, tests, etc. are to the left.

Whole books have been written about the two important Spanish verbs: ser and estar. This will be the subject of our discussion for the next few lessons. Soon, you will have a very good understanding of how these two verbs are used.

Ser and estar can both be translated as “to be.” Here is the English verb, fully conjugated:

to be

I am
you are
he/she is
we are
you-all are
they are

Notice that these two sentences can have different meanings in English.

The apple is green.
(Meaning the apple is not ripe.)

The apple is green.
(Meaning the color of the apple is green.)

In the first case, our example speaks of the condition of the apple. The apple is green because it has not yet ripened. When the condition of the apple changes, that is, when it has ripened, it will no longer be green, it will be ripe.

In the second case, our example speaks of the essential characteristics of the apple. The apple is green in color. This particular apple remains green even after it has ripened.

In English, the verb “to be” can be used to tell how something is (the condition) and whatsomething is (the essence).

How is the apple?
It is unripe.

What color is the apple?
It is green.

In Spanish, a different verb is used to express “to be” depending on whether the speaker intends to address a condition or an essential quality.

La manzana está verde.
The apple is green. (condition)

La manzana es verde.
The apple is green. (essence)

Note how the adjective “verde” actually changes meaning, depending upon whether it is used with ser or estar.

La manzana está verde.
(condition: verde = unripe)

La manzana es verde.
(essential characteristic: verde = color green)

To address condition, use estar. Estar is an irregular verb. It does not follow the standard rules of conjugation for regular -ar verbs. Therefore, you must memorize it.

estar

estoy
estás
está
estamos
estáis
están

To address an essential quality, use ser. Ser is also irregular and must be memorized.

ser

soy
eres
es
somos
sois
son

If you are talking about what something is, use ser; if you are talking about how something is, use estar.

What is she like?
She is quiet.
Use ser:
Ella es callada.

How is she acting?
She is being quiet.
Use estar:
Ella está callada.