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4.2.2: Gramática - Expresiones con tener y tener + que

  • Page ID
    264152
    • Erica Brown, Alejandra Escudero, María Cristina Montoya, & Elizabeth Small
    • SUNY Oneonta via OER SUNY

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    Objetivos
    • Recognize and understand the common expressions with the verb tener
    • Use tener + que + infinitive to describe things one has to do

    Tener + noun for physical conditions

    There are a number of idiomatic expressions that combine forms of tener with certain nouns to express some physical conditions of people; these are expressed with “to be” in English, so you’ll have to pay close attention to remembering the Spanish way of saying them.

    • tener # años = to be # years old
    • tener calor = to be/feel hot (literally, “to have heat”)
    • tener confianza (en) = to be confident (to)
    • tener cuidado = to be careful
    • tener frío = to be/feel cold
    • tener ganas de (+ sustantivo) = to be in the mood for (+ noun)
    • tener hambre = to be hungry
    • tener miedo = to be afraid
    • tener prisa = to be in a hurry
    • tener razón = to be right
    • tener sed = to be thirsty
    • tener sueño = to be sleepy
    • tener suerte = to have luck, be fortunate
    • tener vergüenza = to be embarrassed

    Tener + que + infinitive: to have to

    The verb tener doesn’t just mean “to have” in the sense of possession: it is also used when we try to convey something that we have to do or need to do, following the structure: tener + que + infinitive. This is an example of a modal verb construction where “tener” is conjugated and the other verb is not; it’s different from English in that you need the word “que” to complete the meaning.

    • Este semestre tengo que estudiar mucho. (This semester I have to study a lot.)
    • Esteban tiene que hacer la tarea para su clase de literatura. (Esteban has to do the homework for his literature class.)
    • Nosotros tenemos que hablar con nuestra profesora de español. (We have to speak with our Spanish professor.)

    Tener + ganas de + infinitive: to feel like (want)

    When combined with an infinitive verb, this is another example of a modal verb construction where “tener” is conjugated and the other verb is not. Again, it is different from English in that you need the word “ganas de” to complete the meaning.

    • ¿Teneis ganas de comer en la cafetería? (Do you (pl.) like eating in the cafeteria?)
    • Hoy no tengo ganas de trabajar. (Today I don't feel like working.)

    Contributors and Attributions

    • Gramu00e1tica: Expresiones con tener y tener + que. Authored by: SUNY Oneonta with Lumen Learning. Provided by: SUNY Oneonta. License: CC BY: Attribution

    This page titled 4.2.2: Gramática - Expresiones con tener y tener + que is shared under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Erica Brown, Alejandra Escudero, María Cristina Montoya, & Elizabeth Small (OER SUNY) via source content that was edited to the style and standards of the LibreTexts platform.