A1 Spanish grammar

Tener Expressions: Age, Needs, and Everyday Feelings

Tener expressions describe age and many everyday needs or sensations that English expresses with to be. Spanish also uses tener que plus an infinitive to say that someone has to do something.

Learn common tener expressions as complete patterns

Spanish uses tener in expressions such as tener hambre, tener sed, tener frío, tener calor, tener miedo, and tener sueño.

Tengo treinta años.
I am thirty years old.Spanish expresses age with tener, a number, and años.

Quick check

Choose “I am twenty years old.”

State age with tener and años

Say how many years a person has: Tengo veinte años and Mi hermana tiene diez años. Do not translate English I am literally.

Tenemos hambre.
We are hungry.Tener hambre is the standard Spanish expression for feeling hungry.

Use tener que plus an infinitive

Tener que introduces an action that is necessary: Tengo que estudiar means I have to study.

Ella tiene que trabajar.
She has to work.Tiene que is followed by the infinitive trabajar.

Common mistakes

Soy veinticinco años.

Tengo veinticinco años.

Age uses tener, not ser.

Estoy hambre.

Tengo hambre.

The Spanish expression for being hungry uses tener.

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Tener expressions FAQ

Why does Spanish use tener for age?

Spanish expresses age as the number of years a person has: Tengo veinte años.

How do you say “I am hungry” in Spanish?

Say Tengo hambre. Spanish uses tener rather than estar in this expression.

What does tener que mean?

Tener que plus an infinitive means to have to do something.

What are the most useful beginner tener expressions?

Common ones include tener años, hambre, sed, frío, calor, miedo, sueño, and tener que plus an infinitive.

Continue learning

Ser vs estarUnderstand ser vs estar through identity, origin, location, feelings, conditions, and descriptions whose meaning changes with the verb.Prepositions of placeLearn Spanish prepositions of place including en, encima de, debajo de, delante de, detrás de, cerca de, and al lado de.Tener in the presentLearn the irregular present forms of tener, express possession, and distinguish tener from hay.Tener conjugationStudy the present and other supported forms of tener.Essential Spanish vocabularyCombine common words with these everyday tener expressions.