Tengo varios amigos en la escuela.

I have several friends at the school.

Breakdown of Tengo varios amigos en la escuela.

• yo: I
• en: in
• la escuela: the school
• el amigo: the friend
• tener: to have
• varios: several

Questions & Answers about Tengo varios amigos en la escuela.

What does tengo mean, and why is it used instead of the verb’s infinitive form tener?

Tengo translates to “I have” in English. It’s the first-person singular present form of tener (to have), which makes it appropriate for expressing that the speaker possesses something. Using the infinitive tener would be grammatically incorrect in this context.

What does varios mean, and how is it different from words like muchos or algunos?

Varios means “several”. It indicates more than a couple but not as many as muchos (many) might imply. It’s a way to specify a moderate, indefinite number, distinguishing it from algunos (some), which is often less specific.

Why is the subject pronoun (for example, yo) omitted in this sentence?

In Spanish, subject pronouns are frequently omitted because the conjugated verb already indicates the subject. Since tengo clearly shows the first-person singular, adding yo is unnecessary and would be redundant.

How should we interpret en la escuela? Does it mean “in school” or “at school,” and does it refer to a specific school?

En la escuela can be understood as either “in school” or “at school” depending on context. In this sentence, it implies that the speaker’s friends are found within the school environment. The definite article la is used as Spanish typically includes an article with common institutions, whether referring to a specific school known in context or the general concept of a school.

What does amigos indicate regarding gender, and what would change if the group were all female?

Amigos is the masculine plural form meaning “friends.” In Spanish, when referring to a mixed-gender group or an all-male group, the masculine form is used. If the group consisted entirely of females, the word would change to amigas.