Tener Expressions in Spanish: Age, Hunger, Thirst and More
English says “I am hungry” and “I am twenty.” Spanish says “I have hunger” and “I have twenty years.” A group of very common states use the verb tener (to have) plus a noun. Learn the pattern once and you can talk about age, hunger, thirst, cold, heat, sleepiness, fear, and more.
Quick answer
- Age uses tener: Tengo veinte años. (I am twenty years old.)
- Body states use tener plus a noun: Tengo hambre. Tengo sed. Tengo frío.
- Before those nouns use mucho or mucha, not muy: Tengo mucha hambre.
Age: tener plus años
To give your age, use tener and años. Do not use ser or estar. To ask someone’s age, say ¿Cuántos años tienes? to a friend or ¿Cuántos años tiene? to someone you address as usted.
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| ¿Cuántos años tienes? | Tengo veintidós años. |
| ¿Cuántos años tiene su hijo? | Tiene cinco años. |
| ¿Cuántos años tiene tu abuela? | Tiene setenta y ocho años. |
Examples
- Mi hermana tiene diez años.My sister is ten years old.Age with tener.
- Mi primo tiene un año.My cousin is one year old.One year is singular: un año.
- Mis papás tienen cuarenta y cinco años.My parents are forty-five years old.Plural subject: tienen.
Body states and feelings with tener
Many states that English expresses with “to be” are expressed in Spanish with tener and a noun. Each one is literal: tener hambre is “to have hunger.”
| Spanish | Literally | In English |
|---|---|---|
| tener hambre | to have hunger | to be hungry |
| tener sed | to have thirst | to be thirsty |
| tener frío | to have cold | to be cold |
| tener calor | to have heat | to be hot |
| tener sueño | to have sleep | to be sleepy |
| tener miedo (de) | to have fear | to be afraid (of) |
| tener prisa | to have hurry | to be in a hurry |
| tener razón | to have reason | to be right |
| tener suerte | to have luck | to be lucky |
| tener cuidado | to have care | to be careful |
| tener vergüenza | to have shame | to be embarrassed |
Examples
- Tengo hambre. ¿Vamos a comer tacos?I am hungry. Shall we go eat tacos?Hunger.
- Los niños tienen sed después del partido.The kids are thirsty after the game.Plural subject: tienen.
- Mi abuelo tiene miedo de los perros.My grandfather is afraid of dogs.Tener miedo de plus a noun.
- Tienes razón, la reunión es mañana.You are right, the meeting is tomorrow.Tener razón.
- Ten cuidado, el piso está mojado.Be careful, the floor is wet.“Ten” is the command form for tú.
Muy or mucho? Use mucho
Hambre, sed, frío, and the others are nouns, so you cannot add muy (very). Use mucho or mucha and match the noun’s gender. Feminine nouns take mucha: hambre, sed, prisa, suerte, vergüenza. Masculine nouns take mucho: frío, calor, sueño, miedo, cuidado.
Hambre sounds odd because it takes el in some phrases, but it is feminine: mucha hambre.
Examples
- Tengo mucha hambre.I am very hungry.Hambre is feminine: mucha.
- Tenemos mucho calor.We are very hot.Calor is masculine: mucho.
- Ella tiene mucha suerte.She is very lucky.Suerte is feminine: mucha.
- Mi hijo tiene mucho sueño.My son is very sleepy.Sueño is masculine: mucho.
Tener ganas de and tener que
Two more patterns with tener and an infinitive are worth learning early. Tener ganas de means “to feel like doing something.” Tener que means “to have to.”
Examples
- Tengo ganas de comer tacos.I feel like eating tacos.Tener ganas de plus infinitive.
- No tengo ganas de salir hoy.I do not feel like going out today.Negative.
- Tengo que trabajar el sábado.I have to work on Saturday.Tener que plus infinitive.
- Tenemos que salir temprano.We have to leave early.Nosotros: tenemos.
The present tense of tener
Tener is irregular. The yo form is tengo, and most other forms change e to ie. The nosotros form, tenemos, keeps the regular e. In Latin America, ustedes is the plural “you,” and it uses the same form as ellos.
| Person | tener | Example |
|---|---|---|
| yo | tengo | Tengo sed. |
| tú | tienes | ¿Tienes frío? |
| él, ella, usted | tiene | Ella tiene prisa. |
| nosotros | tenemos | Tenemos sueño. |
| ellos, ustedes | tienen | ¿Tienen hambre? |
Spanish around the world
- These expressions are standard in every Spanish-speaking country. Local slang adds more, but this core set works everywhere.
Common mistakes
Incorrect: Estoy hambre.
Correct: Tengo hambre.
Hunger uses tener, not estar.
Incorrect: Soy treinta años.
Correct: Tengo treinta años.
Age uses tener, not ser.
Incorrect: Tengo muy hambre.
Correct: Tengo mucha hambre.
Hambre is a noun, so use mucha, not muy.
Incorrect: Estoy caliente.
Correct: Tengo calor.
To say you feel hot, use tener calor. “Estoy caliente” can mean something very different.
Remember the pattern
- Tener plus a noun covers age and body states: años, hambre, sed, frío, calor, sueño.
- Use mucho or mucha before those nouns, never muy.
- Tener ganas de plus an infinitive means “feel like.” Tener que plus an infinitive means “have to.”
Mini practice
5 quick questions. You get feedback right after each answer.
Frequently asked questions
Why does Spanish use tener for age?
Spanish treats age as something you have, like “I have thirty years.” It is just a different way of saying the same thing, and it works for every number.
Can I say ‘estoy frío’?
Estoy frío describes your body as cold to the touch, for example someone who is very ill. To say you feel cold, use tengo frío.
How do I say I am not hungry?
Put no before tener: No tengo hambre. The same pattern works for sed, frío, calor, and the others.
Are these tener expressions used everywhere?
Yes. They are standard in every Spanish-speaking country.
Ready to practice your Spanish?
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