tener present tense conjugation

Tener (to have) in the present tense: tengo, tienes, tiene, tenemos, tenéis, tienen.

Presente Present

Presente of tener
yoregular: teno
túregular: tenes
él/ella/ustedregular: tene
nosotros
vosotros
ellos/ellas/ustedesregular: tenen

ending regular · irr breaks the pattern · tap a form to hear it

When to use the present tense

The present (presente de indicativo) describes what happens now, what happens regularly, and fixed facts. It is also used for the near future: “Mañana salgo a las ocho.”

How it is formed

Regular endings attach to the stem (infinitive minus -ar/-er/-ir): -ar → o, as, a, amos, áis, an; -er → o, es, e, emos, éis, en; -ir → o, es, e, imos, ís, en.

Tener is irregular here. 4 of 6 forms break the pattern (dark tiles above); the regular pattern would give teno, tenes, tene, tenen.

Tener in a sentence

  • Tengo dos hermanos.I have two brothers.
  • Tendremos una reunión mañana.We will have a meeting tomorrow.

Stem-changing (e→ie) and irregular yo form 'tengo'; used in expressions like 'tener hambre'.

FAQ

What is the present tense of tener?

Tener in the Spanish present tense: yo tengo, tú tienes, él/ella/usted tiene, nosotros tenemos, vosotros tenéis, ellos/ellas/ustedes tienen.

Is tener irregular in the present tense?

Yes. 4 of 6 forms break the regular pattern: yo tengo (regular would be teno); tú tienes (regular would be tenes); él/ella/usted tiene (regular would be tene); ellos/ellas/ustedes tienen (regular would be tenen).

When do you use the Spanish present tense?

The present (presente de indicativo) describes what happens now, what happens regularly, and fixed facts. It is also used for the near future: “Mañana salgo a las ocho.”

How is the present tense formed?

Regular endings attach to the stem (infinitive minus -ar/-er/-ir): -ar → o, as, a, amos, áis, an; -er → o, es, e, emos, éis, en; -ir → o, es, e, imos, ís, en.

Full tener conjugation, all tenses →
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