tener preterite conjugation
Tener (to have) in the preterite: tuve, tuviste, tuvo, tuvimos, tuvisteis, tuvieron.
Pretérito indefinido Preterite
| yo | regular: tení |
|---|---|
| tú | regular: teniste |
| él/ella/usted | regular: tenió |
| nosotros | regular: tenimos |
| vosotros | regular: tenisteis |
| ellos/ellas/ustedes | regular: tenieron |
ending regular · irr breaks the pattern · tap a form to hear it
When to use the preterite
The preterite (pretérito indefinido) is the past tense for completed actions with a clear start or end: “Ayer hice la cena.” For background, habits and ongoing states in the past, Spanish uses the imperfect instead.
How it is formed
Regular endings: -ar → é, aste, ó, amos, asteis, aron; -er/-ir → í, iste, ió, imos, isteis, ieron. Many common verbs use an irregular stem (hic-, tuv-, estuv-, pud-, quis-, dij-) with unstressed endings -e, -iste, -o, -imos, -isteis, -ieron.
Tener is irregular here. 6 of 6 forms break the pattern (dark tiles above); the regular pattern would give tení, teniste, tenió, tenimos, tenisteis, tenieron.
Read more: Preterite vs imperfect: when to use each
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 preterite of tener?
Tener in the Spanish preterite: yo tuve, tú tuviste, él/ella/usted tuvo, nosotros tuvimos, vosotros tuvisteis, ellos/ellas/ustedes tuvieron.
Is tener irregular in the preterite?
Yes. 6 of 6 forms break the regular pattern: yo tuve (regular would be tení); tú tuviste (regular would be teniste); él/ella/usted tuvo (regular would be tenió); nosotros tuvimos (regular would be tenimos); vosotros tuvisteis (regular would be tenisteis); ellos/ellas/ustedes tuvieron (regular would be tenieron).
When do you use the Spanish preterite?
The preterite (pretérito indefinido) is the past tense for completed actions with a clear start or end: “Ayer hice la cena.” For background, habits and ongoing states in the past, Spanish uses the imperfect instead.
How is the preterite formed?
Regular endings: -ar → é, aste, ó, amos, asteis, aron; -er/-ir → í, iste, ió, imos, isteis, ieron. Many common verbs use an irregular stem (hic-, tuv-, estuv-, pud-, quis-, dij-) with unstressed endings -e, -iste, -o, -imos, -isteis, -ieron.
Full tener conjugation, all tenses →
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