Lesson 6 - Datos personales (Personal Information)
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Pages in this lesson: Numbers - tener - Dialogue - Reading - Quiz
This page: Learn the forms of the verb tener in Spanish.
tener (to have)
Grammar Lesson
Click on the forms of the verb in the table below to hear the pronunciation and repeat.
| Subject pronouns | Form of tener | English translation |
|---|---|---|
| yo | ► tengo | I have |
| tú | ► tienes | you have |
| usted, él, ella | ► tiene | you have/he has/she has |
| nosotros, nosotras | ► tenemos | we have |
| vosotros, vosotras | ► tenéis | you have (used in Spain only) |
| ustedes, ellos, ellas | ► tienen | you have/they have |
Note: Remember that the subject pronoun doesn't necessarily have to be used in a sentence if it is clear who the subject is based on the context or verb form. For example, with the verb tengo, it is obvious that the subject is yo so the subject is generally not used. The subject may still be used, however, for emphasis.
Practice
Section 1
Select the correct form of the verb for the subject.
Practice
Section 2
Fill in the blank to complete the sentence with the correct form of tener.
Negative
To make a verb negative in Spanish you just add the word "no" before the verb.
- Examples:
- No tengo un libro.
- Ella no tiene un libro.
- Los niños no tienen libros.
Section 3
Change the sentence to negative. Don't forget to use correct capitalization, accents and punctuation, or the computer will mark it as incorrect.
Yes/No Questions
To form yes/no questions in Spanish, you just change the word order by putting the verb first. If there is no subject (the verb is already first), all you need is to put question marks. In Spanish an upside-down question mark (¿) is used at the beginning of the question as well as a regular question mark (?) at the end. In some sentences the subject can go right after the verb or at the end of the sentence. If a verb has an object or adverb, however, the subject usually goes after the object or adverb. You will notice in the examples below that there is no translation for the auxiliary verbs do and does. They do not exist in Spanish.
- Examples:
- ¿Tienes un libro? = Do you have a book?
- ¿Tiene ella un libro? = Does she have a book?
Often Spanish-speakers don't even change the word order for a question. They use the normal sentence word order and just add question marks (to written text) and question intonation (to spoken questions).
- Examples:
- ¿María tiene un libro?
- ¿Los niños tienen libros?
Questions with Question Words
To make questions with question words, the question word comes first, then the verb and then the subject (unless the question word is taking the place of the subject).
- Examples:
- ¿Qué tiene María? = What does Maria have?
- ¿Cuántos tiene Juan? = How many does Juan have?
Practice
Section 4:
Write the question in Spanish. If you need to review the question words, you can study them in Lesson 4 - Question Words. Don't forget to use correct capitalization, accents and punctuation, or the computer will mark it as incorrect.
- Example:
- How many does Susana have? → ¿Cuántos tiene Susana?
How to say your age in Spanish
In Spanish, unlike English, the verb tener (have) is used to describe age. You describe how many years you have to say how old you are.
- ¿Cuántos años tienes? = How old are you? (Literally, "How many years do you have?")
- Tengo veinte años. = I am twenty years old. (Literally, "I have twenty years.")
- Ella tiene quince años. = She is fifteen years old. (Literally, "She has fifteen years.")
Practice
Section 5:
Translate the sentences to Spanish. Don't forget to use correct capitalization, accents and punctuation, or the computer will mark it as incorrect.
Find the mistake in the sentence and re-write it correctly in the space. Don't forget to use correct capitalization, accents and punctuation, or the computer will mark it as incorrect.
|
Writing
Write some sentences with the verb tener. You could tell about what people have or how old they are.
- Examples:
- Mi profesora tiene una computadora.
- Tengo treinta años.
If you want to type a special character (like an accented letter) in the comments section, you could do one of the following . . .
- Select and copy the character that you need → á é í ó ú ü ñ ¿ ¡ Á É Í Ó Ú Ü Ñ « »
- Use special codes on your computer if you have numeric keypad (instructions HERE).
- Type your sentences into the text box below and use the special character buttons provided. Then select and copy your text and paste it into the comments section.
If you see an error in someone else's sentence, please respond with the correction. Comments that are not from "Janet Castrejon" (the author of this page) do not represent Simplified Spanish. If someone is writing inappropriate comments on this webpage, please send a message to [email protected] and include the page that you saw the comment on.
Lesson 6 - Datos personales (Personal Information)
Numbers - tener - Dialogue - Reading - Quiz
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Pronouns - Pronunciation - Verbs
