Objetivos
- Recognize and understand the common expressions with the verb tener
- Use tener + que + infinitive to describe things one has to do
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.)
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