tener
In the tables below, the stem is shown in black and the ending in purple.
1.Presente
Presente
Habitual actions, general truths, and what's happening now.
| yo | tengo |
| tú | tienes |
| él/ella | tiene |
| nosotros | tenemos |
| vosotros | tenéis |
| ellos/ellas | tienen |
Yo tengo un perro muy amigable.
I have a very friendly dog.
Ella tiene tres hermanas.
She has three sisters.
2.Pretérito Indefinido
Pretérito Indefinido
Completed actions at a specific point in the past.
| yo | tuve |
| tú | tuviste |
| él/ella | tuvo |
| nosotros | tuvimos |
| vosotros | tuvisteis |
| ellos/ellas | tuvieron |
Ayer tuve una reunión importante.
Yesterday I had an important meeting.
Él tuvo un accidente el mes pasado.
He had an accident last month.
3.Imperfecto
Imperfecto
Ongoing or repeated actions in the past, descriptions, and background context.
| yo | tenía |
| tú | tenías |
| él/ella | tenía |
| nosotros | teníamos |
| vosotros | teníais |
| ellos/ellas | tenían |
Cuando era niño, tenía muchos juguetes.
When I was a child, I had many toys.
Nosotros teníamos una casa en la playa.
We had a house at the beach.
4.Futuro Simple
Futuro Simple
Future actions, predictions, and speculation about the present.
| yo | tendré |
| tú | tendrás |
| él/ella | tendrá |
| nosotros | tendremos |
| vosotros | tendréis |
| ellos/ellas | tendrán |
Mañana tendré una cita con el doctor.
Tomorrow I will have an appointment with the doctor.
Ellos tendrán una fiesta el sábado.
They will have a party on Saturday.
5.Condicional
Condicional
Hypothetical situations, polite requests, and future-in-the-past.
| yo | tendría |
| tú | tendrías |
| él/ella | tendría |
| nosotros | tendríamos |
| vosotros | tendríais |
| ellos/ellas | tendrían |
Si tuviera dinero, tendría un coche nuevo.
If I had money, I would have a new car.
Ella tendría más tiempo si no trabajara tanto.
She would have more time if she didn't work so much.
6.Subjuntivo Presente
Subjuntivo Presente
Wishes, doubts, emotions, and subordinate clauses expressing uncertainty.
| yo | tenga |
| tú | tengas |
| él/ella | tenga |
| nosotros | tengamos |
| vosotros | tengáis |
| ellos/ellas | tengan |
Espero que tú tengas un buen día.
I hope that you have a good day.
Es importante que ellos tengan la información.
It's important that they have the information.
7.Subjuntivo Imperfecto
Subjuntivo Imperfecto
Past subjunctive contexts, hypothetical si-clauses, and polite suggestions.
| yo | tuviera |
| tú | tuvieras |
| él/ella | tuviera |
| nosotros | tuviéramos |
| vosotros | tuvierais |
| ellos/ellas | tuvieran |
Si yo tuviera tiempo, que tuviera un viaje.
If I had time, I would have a trip.
Ojalá que ella tuviera más paciencia.
I wish she had more patience.
"tener" in other languages
Related verbs
Common questions
- Is "tener" regular or irregular in Spanish?
- "tener" is an irregular Spanish verb. It does not follow the standard -er conjugation pattern and must be memorized.
- How do you conjugate "tener" in the present tense?
- In the Presente, "tener" conjugates as: tienes, tengo, tienen, and more. See the full table above.
- What is the past tense of "tener" in Spanish?
- In the Pretérito Indefinido, "tener" conjugates as: tuviste, tuve, tuvieron, and more. See the full table above.
- How common is "tener" in Spanish?
- "tener" (to have, to hold) is one of the most commonly used verbs in Spanish.