Tengo un gato pequeño.

I have a small cat.

Breakdown of Tengo un gato pequeño.

• yo: I
• tener: to have
• un: a
• el gato: the cat
• pequeño: small

Questions & Answers about Tengo un gato pequeño.

Why do we say Tengo and not Yo tengo?

In Spanish, it’s common to leave out the subject pronoun (in this case, yo) because the verb form tengo already indicates that the subject is first-person singular. You can still say Yo tengo for emphasis or clarity, but most of the time native speakers just say Tengo.

Why do we use un instead of una?

The word gato (“cat”) is masculine in Spanish, so we use the masculine indefinite article un. If you were talking about a female cat, you would say una gata.

How can I tell that pequeño goes after the noun instead of in front of it?

In Spanish, most adjectives come after the nouns they describe (un gato pequeño). However, some adjectives can come before the noun for stylistic or specific meaning changes, but in general, describing adjectives—like pequeño—are placed after the noun.

How would I make it plural if I have more than one small cat?

To form the plural, change un gato to unos gatos (masculine plural for “cats”) and pequeño to pequeños (masculine plural for “small”). So the full sentence would be Tengo unos gatos pequeños.

Can I use a different word for “small,” like chico or chiquito?

Yes! Spanish offers several synonyms for “small.” Chico and chiquito are both possible, though chiquito is a bit more informal and can also imply cuteness or affection. You might hear Tengo un gato chiquito in casual conversation.