Tener in the Spanish present tense
Tener means to have, but Spanish also uses it for age, possession, obligations and states such as hunger, thirst and fear.
Its yo form is tengo. The stressed e changes to ie in tienes, tiene and tienen, while tenemos and tenéis keep the original stem.
Tengo plus an E → IE change in stressed forms
Use tengo with yo; tienes, tiene and tienen in the other stressed forms; and tenemos or tenéis without the stem change.
1. Meaning and form in context
Tener combines two present-tense patterns: yo uses tengo, and the stressed forms outside nosotros and vosotros use tien-. Learn tengo, tienes, tiene, tenemos, tenéis and tienen as one complete paradigm.
2. A contrast worth noticing
English uses to be for age and several physical states, but Spanish uses tener: Tengo treinta años and Tenemos hambre. Use tener que + infinitive for a personal obligation.
3. Let the subject guide the form
Spanish often omits a subject pronoun, but each exercise provides enough context to identify the person. Choose the form from meaning and agreement, not from the nearest noun.
4. Common mistakes
The infinitive tener must change to tengo for this subject and context.
The infinitive tener must change to tienes for this subject and context.
The infinitive tener must change to tiene for this subject and context.
5. A reliable method
- Identify the subject and the meaning of tener in the sentence.
- Use tengo for yo.
- Use tien- in stressed non-yo forms, but ten- with nosotros and vosotros.
- Keep que before an infinitive when the sentence expresses an obligation.