Tenir usually corresponds to “have,” but Catalan also uses it in many places where English uses “be”: tenir trenta anys (“be thirty”), tenir gana (“be hungry”), and tenir fred (“be cold”). Its present is irregular especially in first-person tinc, while third-person singular té is shortened and bears a distinguishing accent. The contrast between tinc, té, and tenen makes the whole paradigm worth learning as a unit.
The present paradigm
| Person | Present | Example |
|---|---|---|
| jo | tinc | tinc temps |
| tu | tens | tens temps |
| ell / ella / vostè | té | té temps |
| nosaltres | tenim | tenim temps |
| vosaltres | teniu | teniu temps |
| ells / elles / vostès | tenen | tenen temps |
The first-person tinc has a velar consonant absent from tens, té, tenim, teniu, and tenen. There is no productive rule that lets a beginner calculate tinc from tenir: memorize it. The written accent in té is also essential. It distinguishes the verb from unstressed pronoun te and noun te (“tea”). Tenim and teniu are stressed on their final syllable; tenen is stressed on its first.
Tinc deu minuts abans de la reunió.
I have ten minutes before the meeting.
Tens les claus del garatge?
Do you have the garage keys?
La Berta té molta paciència amb els nens.
Berta has a lot of patience with the children.
Tenim taula reservada a dos quarts de nou.
We have a table booked for eight thirty.
No tenen cotxe i sempre venen amb tren.
They don’t have a car, and they always come by train.
Present indicative tenir treats the possession, relationship, or condition as true now or generally. Because Catalan often omits subject pronouns, the ending identifies the person: tenim already means “we have.” Add nosaltres only for contrast or emphasis.
Possession, control, and characteristics
Possession with tenir is broader than legal ownership. It can describe something at your disposal, part of your body, a relationship, or a characteristic.
Ara no tinc el mòbil; l'he deixat carregant al despatx.
I don’t have my phone with me now; I left it charging in the office.
Aquest pis té dues habitacions i molta llum.
This apartment has two bedrooms and lots of light.
La meva cosina té els ulls verds.
My cousin has green eyes.
English speakers sometimes reach for auxiliary haver because English uses “have” both for possession and perfect tenses. Catalan separates them cleanly: tinc una bicicleta is possession, while he comprat una bicicleta is a completed event. Compare the present of haver.
Age and physical sensations
Catalan conceptualizes age and several bodily experiences as things a person “has.” The noun after tenir normally appears without an article in these fixed expressions.
| Catalan expression | Natural English equivalent |
|---|---|
| tenir vint anys | to be twenty |
| tenir gana / set | to be hungry / thirsty |
| tenir fred / calor | to be cold / hot |
| tenir son | to be sleepy |
| tenir por | to be afraid |
| tenir pressa | to be in a hurry |
La meva filla té sis anys i ja llegeix tota sola.
My daughter is six and already reads by herself.
Teniu fred? Puc tancar la finestra.
Are you cold? I can close the window.
Després de caminar tot el matí, tenim molta gana.
After walking all morning, we’re very hungry.
No tinc son; em quedaré una estona més.
I’m not sleepy; I’ll stay a little longer.
The logic is lexical, not a claim that hunger is a possession. English packages these sensations as adjectival states; Catalan packages them as noun phrases governed by tenir. There is no general shortcut beyond learning the frequent combinations.
Common expressions with tenir
Many high-frequency meanings come from the noun complement rather than from tenir alone:
| Expression | Meaning |
|---|---|
| tenir raó | to be right |
| tenir temps | to have time |
| tenir ganes de + infinitive/noun | to feel like / want |
| tenir cura de | to take care of |
| tenir en compte | to take into account |
| tenir lloc | to take place |
Tens raó: avui és dijous, no pas dimecres.
You’re right: today is Thursday, not Wednesday.
Tinc ganes de veure-us; quan us va bé quedar?
I feel like seeing you; when would meeting up suit you?
La presentació té lloc a la biblioteca del barri.
The presentation takes place at the neighborhood library.
Do not translate the pieces separately: tenir lloc does not mean “possess a place.” These are collocations, and their meaning belongs to the whole phrase. More appear on the expressions with tenir page.
Weak pronouns and omitted nouns
As with other finite verbs, a weak object pronoun normally comes before present-tense tenir. Use el/la/els/les for a definite object and partitive en when an indefinite noun is omitted, especially after a quantity.
La factura? La tinc aquí mateix.
The bill? I have it right here.
—Tens germans? —Sí, en tinc dos.
—Do you have any siblings? —Yes, I have two.
No en tenim prou per pagar el lloguer.
We don’t have enough of it to pay the rent.
In en tinc dos, English simply leaves “siblings” unexpressed. Standard Catalan marks that missing indefinite noun with en. This is not optional in careful usage.
Why the progressive is usually wrong
Possession, age, and sensations are normally states. The simple present already places them at the current time, so English “I am having...” must not automatically become estic tenint.
Ara tinc una mica de mal de cap.
I have a bit of a headache now.
The progressive can be natural when tenir describes a developing experience rather than stable possession: Estem tenint molts problemes amb el servidor (“We’re having a lot of problems with the server”) is possible. The distinction is aspectual: use the progressive to frame an unfolding episode, not merely because English contains an -ing form. See the present progressive.
Mini-dialogue
—Tens pressa? —Una mica; tinc visita al dentista a les cinc.
—Are you in a hurry? —A little; I have a dentist’s appointment at five.
—Vols que t'hi porti? —Sí, si tens temps.
—Do you want me to take you there? —Yes, if you have time.
The subject changes from tu (tens) to jo (tinc) and back without overt pronouns. The verb form makes the reference clear.
Regional forms and nearby constructions
The forms in the main table are the general standard. Tenc is a normative restricted form (regional: Balearic and Alguerese) for first-person singular, beside general tinc. Learners who use the general paradigm will be understood throughout the Catalan-speaking area, but should recognize tenc in island speech and writing representing it.
For obligation, contemporary standard Catalan normally uses haver de + infinitive, caldre, or another necessity expression—not tenir que + infinitive. This is one of the places where copying Spanish produces a nonstandard result:
Hem de sortir d'hora si no volem trobar trànsit.
We have to leave early if we don’t want to hit traffic.
The present indicative asserts the state as real: Sé que té temps. If the surrounding clause presents it as uncertain or desired, mood can change: Dubto que tingui temps. The word que itself does not decide the mood; the speaker’s assertion status does.
Common Mistakes
1. Using ser for age.
❌ El meu germà és vint-i-cinc anys.
Incorrect — Catalan expresses age with tenir.
✅ El meu germà té vint-i-cinc anys.
My brother is twenty-five.
2. Treating a noun sensation like an adjective.
❌ Estic molta gana.
Incorrect — gana is a noun used with tenir.
✅ Tinc molta gana.
I’m very hungry.
3. Overusing the progressive for possession.
❌ Estic tenint dos germans que viuen a Reus.
Incorrect — having siblings is a stable relationship, not an unfolding episode.
✅ Tinc dos germans que viuen a Reus.
I have two brothers who live in Reus.
4. Omitting partitive en when the noun is left out.
❌ —Tens segells? —Sí, tinc cinc.
Incorrect in careful Catalan — the omitted indefinite noun should be represented by en.
✅ —Tens segells? —Sí, en tinc cinc.
—Do you have stamps? —Yes, I have five.
5. Copying Spanish tener que.
❌ Tenim que reservar abans de divendres.
Incorrect in standard Catalan — use haver de for obligation.
✅ Hem de reservar abans de divendres.
We have to book before Friday.
Key Takeaways
- Memorize tinc, tens, té, tenim, teniu, tenen, including the accent on té.
- Use tenir for possession, age, and noun-based sensations such as gana, set, and fred.
- Put weak pronouns before the finite verb: la tinc, en tinc dos.
- Prefer the simple present for states; the progressive is limited to genuinely unfolding experiences.
Now practice Catalan
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Start learning Catalan →Related Topics
- Common Present-Stem IrregularitiesA2 — Recognize the recurring stem patterns behind high-frequency irregular present-tense verbs such as poder, voler, dir, veure, and tenir.
- Velar Stems in the PresentA2 — Learn the Catalan verb family whose first-person present ends in a velar consonant, as in bec, dic, duc, tinc, and vinc.
- Haver de plus InfinitiveA2 — Express personal obligation, expectation, and planned action with the central Catalan periphrasis haver de plus infinitive.
- Expressions with TenirB1 — Use tenir naturally for possession, age, bodily states, desire, success and failure, result states, and fixed noun expressions.
- En as a Partitive PronounB1 — Use partitive en to resume indefinite nouns, mass nouns, and counted sets while keeping quantities and agreement visible.