Tengo trece libros.

the book

Breakdown of Tengo trece libros.

• tener: to have
• trece: thirteen

Questions & Answers about Tengo trece libros.

Why is it tengo and not yo tengo?

In Spanish, the subject pronoun is often omitted because the verb ending already shows who the subject is. Tengo means I have, so yo is usually unnecessary.

You can say yo tengo trece libros, but it sounds more emphatic, as if you are stressing I:

• Yo tengo trece libros, no ella.

What verb is tengo from?

Tengo comes from the verb tener, which means to have.

In this sentence, tengo is the first-person singular form in the present tense:

• tener = to have
• tengo = I have

This is an irregular verb, so it does not follow the most basic pattern you might expect.

Why is it tengo instead of something like teno?