Expressions with Tener | Spanish (Latin America) Grammar

The verb tener (literally "to have") appears in a long list of idiomatic expressions. In most of them, English uses "to be" instead of "to have". Saying estoy hambre or soy hambre sounds completely wrong to a Spanish speaker: you have hunger, you do not are hungry.

Physical sensations

The most common tener expressions describe how the body feels. The noun stays in the singular and takes no article.

Tengo hambre.

I'm hungry.

¿Tienes sed?

Are you thirsty?

Los niños tienen sueño.

The children are sleepy.

Tengo mucho calor en esta oficina.

I'm very hot in this office.

Cierra la ventana, tengo frío.

Close the window, I'm cold.

To intensify the feeling, use mucho/mucha (not muy), because the word that follows is a noun, not an adjective.

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Say tengo mucha hambre, not tengo muy hambre. Since hambre is a noun, it needs mucho/mucha, matching in gender: mucha hambre, mucha sed, mucho calor, mucho frío, mucho sueño.

Emotions and attitudes

Tener also introduces feelings and mental states.

Tengo miedo de los perros grandes.

I'm afraid of big dogs.

No tengas vergüenza, canta con nosotros.

Don't be embarrassed, sing with us.

Tienes razón, me equivoqué.

You're right, I was wrong.

Mi hermana tiene celos de mi novia.

My sister is jealous of my girlfriend.

Ten paciencia, ya casi llegamos.

Be patient, we're almost there.

Tengo confianza en ti.

I have confidence in you.

Actions and situations

Some expressions describe how someone approaches an action: in a hurry, carefully, or luckily.

Tengo prisa, hablamos después.

I'm in a hurry, we'll talk later.

¡Ten cuidado con el escalón!

Be careful with the step!

Tuvimos suerte con el clima.

We were lucky with the weather.

Mi tío tuvo éxito en los negocios.

My uncle was successful in business.

Tener años (age)

Age is expressed with tener, not ser. You literally "have years".

Tengo veintiocho años.

I'm twenty-eight years old.

¿Cuántos años tienes?

How old are you?

Mi abuela tiene noventa años.

My grandmother is ninety.

Tener ganas de + infinitive

This construction means "to feel like (doing something)". It is one of the most used expressions in everyday speech.

Tengo ganas de comer helado.

I feel like eating ice cream.

¿Tienes ganas de salir esta noche?

Do you feel like going out tonight?

No tengo ganas de estudiar hoy.

I don't feel like studying today.

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You can also drop the infinitive and use a noun: tengo ganas de pizza (I'm craving pizza). The negative no tener ganas is a common, polite way to turn down an invitation.

Tener que + infinitive

Although this is a modal structure (meaning "to have to"), it fits naturally alongside the idioms above. See Verbs: tener for more.

Tengo que irme ya.

I have to leave now.

Tenemos que hablar.

We have to talk.