The Spanish Verb Tener - Verbo Tener y Usos (Médicos)

Now we will look at one of the most useful Spanish verbs - the verb “tener,” which means “to have.” The verb tener is irregular in the present tense. A (g) is added to form the first person singular. To make things more difficult, (e) changes to (ie) - with the exception of nostoros. The table below shows how to conjugate the verb tener.

To express age

¿Cuántos años tienes? - How old are you?
Tengo veintidos años. - I am 22 years old

To indicate possession

Tengo una casa en California. - I have a house in California.
Tengo cuatro hermanas. - I have four sisters.

To indicate obligations

To express an obligation, use tener + que + infinitive

Tengo que estudiar mucho. - I have to study a lot.
¡Tienes que prestar atención! - You have to pay attention!

To express sensations

To express a sensation, use tener + noun.

Tener calor (to be hot) ---> Tengo calor. - I am hot.
Tener frio (to be cold) ---> Tienes frío. - You are cold.
Tener hambre (to be hungry) ---> Él tiene hambre. - He's hungry.
Tener sed (to be thirsty) ---> Tenemos sed. - We're thirsty.
Tener miedo (to be scared) ---> Ellos tienen miedo. - They're scared.
Tener suerte (to be lucky) ---> Tengo mucha suerte. - I am very lucky.

To express a desire to do something

Tener + ganas + de + infinitive

Tengo ganas de dormir. - I feel like sleeping.
¿Tienes ganas de comer? - Do you feel like eating?