Tener Conjugation: Present, Preterite, Imperfect
tener — to have
Tener is 'to have' — but Spanish uses it for age, hunger, and feelings too ('tengo hambre' — I have hunger = I'm hungry). The preterite stem shifts to tuv-, the same pattern as estar's estuv-. Learn the three conversational tenses below.
Quick answer
Yo tengo.
I have.
Present "yo" form. Full present: tengo, tienes, tiene, tenemos, tenéis, tienen. Preterite: tuve, tuviste, tuvo, tuvimos, tuvisteis, tuvieron.
tener — Present
Possession, age, states: 'Tengo veinte años' — I am twenty (lit. I have twenty years).
| Pronoun | Spanish form |
|---|---|
| yo | tengo |
| tú | tienes |
| él / ella / usted | tiene |
| nosotros | tenemos |
| vosotros | tenéis |
| ellos / ustedes | tienen |
tener — Preterite (past, completed)
A completed having: 'Tuve un problema' — I had a problem.
| Pronoun | Spanish form |
|---|---|
| yo | tuve |
| tú | tuviste |
| él / ella / usted | tuvo |
| nosotros | tuvimos |
| vosotros | tuvisteis |
| ellos / ustedes | tuvieron |
tener — Imperfect (past, ongoing)
Ongoing possession or state: 'Tenía un perro' — I had (used to have) a dog.
| Pronoun | Spanish form |
|---|---|
| yo | tenía |
| tú | tenías |
| él / ella / usted | tenía |
| nosotros | teníamos |
| vosotros | teníais |
| ellos / ustedes | tenían |
Example sentences
Tengo hambre.
I'm hungry. (lit. I have hunger)
TEHN-goh AHM-breh
¿Tienes cambio?
Do you have change?
TEH-nyehs KAHM-bee-oh
Tenía mucho trabajo.
I had a lot of work.
teh-NEE-ah MOO-choh trah-BAH-hoh
Don't just read it — say it
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More Spanish verb conjugations
ser — to be (identity, essence, permanent traits)
Yo soy. · Present / Preterite / Imperfect
estar — to be (state, location, feelings)
Yo estoy. · Present / Preterite / Imperfect
ir — to go
Yo voy. · Present / Preterite / Imperfect
hacer — to do, to make
Yo hago. · Present / Preterite / Imperfect
decir — to say, to tell
Yo digo. · Present / Preterite / Imperfect
poder — to be able to, can
Yo puedo. · Present / Preterite / Imperfect
querer — to want; to love (people)
Yo quiero. · Present / Preterite / Imperfect
haber — to have (auxiliary); there is/are
Hay. · Present / Preterite / Imperfect