Tener Expressions
Tener Expressions
English says you 'are' hungry, afraid, or right. Spanish says you 'have' those things instead — tener does work that 'to be' does in English.
Grammar Comparison
Grammar Comparison
Tener for physical and emotional states
tengo hambre, tengo miedo, tengo sed — literally 'I have hunger', 'I have fear', 'I have thirst'
I am hungry, I am afraid, I am thirsty — built with 'to be' plus an adjective
A large group of everyday states that English expresses with 'to be' plus an adjective, Spanish expresses with tener (to have) plus a noun. There's no shortcut here — each tener expression has to be learned as its own fixed phrase, since translating literally from the English adjective ('estoy hambriento') sounds unnatural even when it's technically understandable.
Tener for age and being right
tengo veinte años (I am twenty — literally 'I have twenty years'), tienes razón (you're right — literally 'you have reason')
I am twenty, you are right — both built with 'to be'
Age is stated the same tener way: a number of años (years) that you 'have', not 'are'. Being right or wrong follows the identical pattern — tener razón (to have reason) rather than any equivalent of 'to be right'. Expect tener to keep appearing in places where your English instinct reaches for 'to be'.
Vocabulary
Vocabulary
- English
- I'm hungry
- English
- I'm thirsty
- English
- I'm afraid
- English
- I'm sleepy
- English
- I'm hot
- English
- I'm cold
- English
- I'm in a hurry
- English
- I'm right
- English
- I'm twenty years old
- English
- I'm careful