The definitive guide to conjugating tener in all 16 tenses & moods

Learning how to conjugate verbs in Spanish is one of the most important skills you can pick up early on in your learning journey.

The verb tener (to have) is one of the best ways to invest your time if you’re studying Spanish, as just a few simple conjugation rules will allow you to express many different situations. Of course, the verb “to have” can help you talk about things you own, but it’s also used to express characteristics, moods, feelings, and more.

Unfortunately, tener is an irregular verb, which means that you’ll have to memorize every tense for every person. But don’t let that discourage you! Once you find out just how useful this verb is, you’ll see that spending the time to learn it is well worth it.

So, let’s get started by covering the many uses of the verb tener so you can get excited about learning the conjugations!

The verb tener

The verb tener (teh-nehin Spanish translated into the verb “to have.” You use it to express possession and ownership, just as in English. However, in certain contexts, the verb tener can also translate into the verb “to be” in English.

That’s because English is quite generous with its use of the verb “to be.” For example, when you say, “I’m sleepy,” does that mean you are sleepy? That it’s an intrinsic part of your being? Do you exist in a perpetual state of sleepiness? Although many students would be tempted to answer affirmatively, the truth is that sleepiness isn’t a core part of anyone’s being (although a passion for sleeping can be!).

Spanish pays more close attention to the differences between permanent states of being and temporary states of being. That’s why you’d say “tengo sueño” (I have sleepiness) instead of “soy sueño” (I am sleepy).

Let’s take a look at just how versatile this verb can be.

When to use “tener”

• Ownership. The most common use of this verb is to establish possession or ownership, such as in “tengo dos perros en casa” (I have two dogs at home) or “¿Tienes un suéter que me prestes?” (do you have a sweater I could borrow?).
• Emotions and feelings. Transitory meanings and emotions can be possessed in Spanish, as in “tengo miedo” (I am scared) or “aún tengo esperanza” (I still have hope).
• Age. Unlike English, Spanish uses the verb to have to describe age. For example, you’d say “tengo 38 años” (I am 38 years old).
• Physical characteristics. You can use the verb tener to describe specific parts of your or someone else’s body, such as “tengo el pelo largo” (I have long hair) or “tienes bonitos ojos” (you have pretty eyes). Great for pickup lines!
• Duty. Use the verb tener when talking about things you have to do, like “tengo que ir a la escuela” (I have to go to school) or “tengo que trabajar hasta tarde” (I have to work overtime).
• Necessity. This verb is also used to express physical necessities, such as “tengo hambre” (I’m hungry) or “tengo sueño” (I’m sleepy).
• Health. You can use the verb tener when talking about ailments or symptoms, as in “tengo un resfriado” (I have a cold) or “tengo dolor de cabeza” (I have a headache).
• Cravings. To emphasize their temporality, cravings use the verb tener in Spanish, such as “tengo ganas de dormir”(I feel like sleeping) or “tengo antojo de algo dulce” (I’m craving something sweet).

Tener in Spanish: All possible conjugations

Now that you’re hyped for all the different uses of the verb tener, we’ll get right into the conjugations! We’ll review 16 different tenses and modes so you’re well-equipped to use this verb in any situation!

Present tense (presente)

Known as el tiempo presente (elle tee-ehm-poh preh-sehn-teh) in Spanish, the present tense helps us describe things that are true as of this moment. Notably, we use this tense when describing our age in Spanish, as we count the number of years we have.

Examples of present tense Spanish conjugations for “to have”

Simple past (pretérito)

El tiempo pretérito (elle tee-ehm-poh preh-teh-ree-toe) talks about actions that happened in the past and aren’t ongoing. You’ll use this to talk about things you had at one point but have since lost or gotten rid of.

Examples of simple past Spanish conjugations for “to have”

Imperfect tense (imperfecto)

El tiempo imperfecto (elle preh-teh-ree-toe eem-pehr-fec-toe) gives us a more nebulous option for talking about the past. It’s less precise than the simple past and helps describe a wider range of actions.

Examples of imperfect tense Spanish conjugations for “to have”

Future tense (futuro simple)

El futuro simple (elle foo-too-roh seem-pleh), as you can imagine, talks about things that haven’t happened yet. Use this for things you are fairly certain you’ll have at some point in the future!

Examples of future tense Spanish conjugations for “to have”

Future perfect tense (futuro compuesto)

El futuro compuesto (elle foo-too-roh com-poo-ehs-toe) talks about things that will happen by a specific point in the future, so use this to plan your goals and objectives!

Examples of future perfect tense Spanish conjugations for “to have”

Conditional tense (condicional simple)

El condicional simple (elle con-dee-see-oh-nall seem-pleh) allows us to talk about something that would or could happen if something else happened first.

Examples of conditional tense Spanish conjugations for “to have”

Conditional perfect tense (condicional perfecto)

El condicional perfecto (con-dee-see-oh-nall pehr-fec-toe) indicates an action that could’ve happened in the past. As such, it implies that the situation is no longer feasible, possible or viable.

Examples of conditional perfect tense Spanish conjugations for “to have”

Present perfect (pretérito perfecto)

The pretérito perfecto is used to describe a whole host of situations. Generally, these actions happened in the distant past past and aren’t continuing into the present.

Examples of present perfect Spanish conjugations for “to have”

Pluperfect (pluscuamperfecto)

The pluscuamperfecto (ploos-cooh-ahn-pehr-fec-toe) describes events that happened before another event in the past. It’s almost like the past of the past!

Examples of pluperfect Spanish conjugations for “to have”

Present subjunctive (subjuntivo)

The subjunctive tense, or subjuntivo (elle soob-whoon-tee-vo) in Spanish, describes things that could happen or you wish would happen. Use this when you want to express your wishes and desires!

Examples of present subjunctive Spanish conjugations for “to have”

Imperfect subjunctive (imperfecto del subjuntivo)

The imperfect subjunctive, or el imperfecto del subjuntivo (elle eem-pehr-fec-toe dell soob-whoon-tee-voe) deals with hypotheticals. Use this when putting yourself in someone else’s shoes or when giving advice.

Examples of imperfect subjunctive Spanish conjugations for “to have”

Future subjunctive (futuro imperfecto del subjuntivo)

El futuro imperfecto del subjuntivo (foo-too-roh eem-pehr-fec-toe dell soob-whon-tee-vo), though quite the mouthful, is a very nifty tense. It helps us talk about things that are unlikely to happen in the future, but are still worth considering. Use this to talk about things that would be difficult — though not impossible — for you to obtain.

Examples of future subjunctive Spanish conjugations for “to have”

Affirmative imperative (imperativo afirmativo)

El imperativo afirmativo (elle eem-peh-rah-tee-vo ah-feer-ma-tee-vo) is the mood that helps us give commands in Spanish. This is particularly helpful if you have children or small pets in the house!

Examples of affirmative imperative Spanish conjugations for “to have”

Negative imperative (imperativo negativo)

The opposite of the affirmative imperative, el imperativo negativo (elle eem-peh-rah-tee-vo neh-ga-tee-voh) allows us to tell people not to do certain things. Also helpful for those with children and pets!

Examples of negative imperative Spanish conjugations for “to have”

Tener conjugation chart cheat sheets

Here are a few handy tener conjugation chart cheat sheets for those of you who are already familiar with the verb tenses and just need to double-check that you got your conjugation right. If you want in on a little secret, native speakers also need some help double-checking their conjugations every now and then!

Indicative

Complex tenses

Subjunctive

Complex subjunctive

Imperative

FAQs about the verb to have in Spanish

Is tener an irregular verb in Spanish?

Yes! Tener is an irregular verb in Spanish, as it does not follow the general conjugation patterns. In other words, you can’t just use its stem and follow regular conjugation rules to use this verb in different tenses — you’ll have to memorize each conjugation from scratch.

What is tener que in Spanish?

The form “tener que” followed by an infinitive verb indicates duty or responsibility. The verb tener is conjugated in the present tense and the second verb — what you have to do — isn’t conjugated. For example, if you have to do your homework, you’d say “tengo que hacer la tarea” (I have to do my homework).

There you have it! The most complete guide to conjugating tener

We told you this was going to be a comprehensive guide, and hopefully we delivered! You now know how to conjugate the verb tener in 16 different tenses and moods, so you can now talk about everything you’ve had, have, will have, could have, would have, would’ve had, wish you had, and so much more. All you have to do now is get some practice in so you can learn all the different conjugations!

Make sure to check out our Spanish blog for more helpful guides to all kinds of verbs, pronouns, adjectives, tough words, numbers, vowels, tongue twisters, abbreviations, and so, so, so much more! Oh, and by the way, they’re all 100% free!