Expressions with the Verb Tener
Expressions with the Verb Tener
to not worry
I don't want you to worry.
to have nothing to do with
He has nothing to do with the problem.
To be ... years old
I'm 20 years old.
to be .... wide/long/tall
The house is 45 meters high.
to be hot
Are you hot?
to be fond
Her husband is fond of her.
to be jealous
I'm jealous of my friend.
to be careful
Be careful when crossing the street!
to have the right
I have the right to express my ideas.
to bear in mind
Keep in mind that you have a power inside you.
to be successful
To succeed, we must study.
to be cold
I'm cold.
to be in the mood for
I don’t feel like going out tonight.
to be hungry
Hey friend! I’m hungry.
to be enthusiastic
He's enthusiastic about traveling to the U.S.
to be guilty or at fault
It’s not my fault.
to take place
The wedding took place at the beach.
to be afraid of
You’re scared of frogs.
to be afraid of
She’s afraid of singing.
to rest assured
Rest assured our mission doesn’t end here.
to be in a hurry
Sorry, but I'm in a hurry.
to be right
I don’t think she is right.
to be thirsty
Can you give me a glass of water, I’m thirsty.
to be tired or sleepy
I’m leaving, I’m sleepy.
to be lucky
I’m lucky because I live with nice people.
to be embarassed
He is ashamed of being the son of a laborer.
Hay vs Hay Que
Hay is used in both singular and plural to express "there is " or "there are" it's used extensively. It is also used in interrogative sentences where it translates as is there? or are there?
- Hay una casa grande en la esquina.
There is a big house in the corner. - Hay dos árboles en nuestro jardín.
There are two trees in our garden.
Hay que + infinitive is used to express the idea of "one must do something" or, "it is necessary to do something." It is a more general expression and since there is no subject, the verb form hay is always used.
- Hay que estudiar, para tener éxito.
One must study to succeed.
So don’t confuse between hay (there is/are) and hay que (one must/have to...).
Tener vs. Tener que + infinitive
The verb tener is used to mean (to have) in the sense of possession.
- Tengo una casa muy grande.
I have a very big house. - ¿tiene él dinero?
Does he have money?
But tener que + infinitive means "have to":
- Me tengo que ir ahora.
I have to go now. - No tienes que hacerlo.
You don't have to do it.
Hay que + infinitive vs Tener que+ infinitive:
they both mean almost the same thing, but tener is a verb while hay is not, therefore tener should be conjugated according to the subject of the sentence. Hay que is more general than tener que, so when we say "hay que estudiar para tener éxito" (we mean in general we should study to succeed), which may apply for all people, when we say "tengo que estudiar para tener éxito" (it means only me if i study I will succeed).