Tener + noun for physical conditions

There are a number of idiomatic expressions that combine forms of tener with certain nouns to express some physical conditions of people; these are expressed with “to be” in English, so you’ll have to pay close attention to remembering the Spanish way of saying them.

• Tener calor = to be/feel hot (literally, “to have heat”)
• Tener frío = to be/feel cold
• Tener hambre = to be hungry
• Tener miedo = to be afraid
• Tener prisa = to be in a hurry
• Tener sed = to be thirsty
• Tener vergüenza = to be embarrassed
• Tener ganas de = to be in the mood for
• Tener sueño = to be sleepy
• Tener suerte = to have luck, be fortunate
• tener # años = to be # years old

Tener + que + infinitive: to have to

The verb tener doesn’t just mean “to have” in the sense of possession: it is also used when we try to convey something that we have to do or need to do, following the structure: tener + que + infinitive. This is an example of a modal verb construction where “tener” is conjugated and the other verb is not; it’s different from English in that you need the word “que” to complete the meaning.

• Este semestre tengo que estudiar mucho. (This semester I have to study a lot.)
• Esteban tiene que hacer la tarea para su clase de literatura. (Esteban has to do the homework for his literature class.)
• Nosotros tenemos que hablar con nuestra profesora de español. (We have to speak with our Spanish professor.)