Tener means "to have" and it's a really important verb in Spanish. Let's learn how to use it in the present tense.

How to Conjugate Tener in the Present Tense

Here’s how to change the verb "tener" for different people:

• Yo (I): tengo
• Tú (You - informal): tienes
• Él/Ella (He/She): tiene
• Usted (You - formal): tiene
• Nosotros/Nosotras (We): tenemos
• Vosotros/Vosotras (You all - informal in Spain): tenéis
• Ellos/Ellas (They): tienen
• Ustedes (You all - formal in Latin America): tienen

Helpful Grammar Tips

• Subject Pronouns: These words tell us who we're talking about. Here are the main ones:

  • Yo (I)
  • Tú (You - informal)
  • Él/Ella (He/She)
  • Nosotros/Nosotras (We)
  • Vosotros/Vosotras (You all)
  • Ellos/Ellas (They)

• Definite and Indefinite Articles: In Spanish, we use articles that need to match the words they go with.

  • Definite Articles: el (for masculine singular), la (for feminine singular).
  • Indefinite Articles: un (for masculine), una (for feminine).

Making Simple Negative Sentences

If you want to say something is not true in Spanish, just put "no" before the verb. Here’s an example:

• Positive: Yo tengo un libro. (I have a book.)
• Negative: Yo no tengo un libro. (I do not have a book.)

Introduction to the Present Progressive Tense

When you want to show that something is happening right now, use the verb “estar” with a gerund. Here’s how it works:

• Yo estoy teniendo (I am having).
• Tú estás teniendo (You are having).

Now that you understand how to use "tener," you can make sentences in the present tense, identify subjects, use articles correctly, create negative sentences, and start using the present progressive tense!