tener

See also: Tener and téner

Aragonese

Etymology

Inherited from Navarro-Aragonese tener, in turn from Latin tenēre.

Verb

tener

1. to have, hold

Asturian

Etymology

Inherited from Old Leonese tenere, in turn from Latin tenēre.

Verb

tener

1. have got, to have
2. to have to (indicates necessity)
3. (with por) to hold

Conjugation

Conjugation of tener

infinitive		tener
gerundive		teniendo
participle		m teniú, f tenida, n tenío, m pl teníos, f pl teníes
person		first singular yo	second singular tu	third singular él/elli	first plural nosotros/nós	second plural vosotros/vós	third plural ellos
indicative	present	tengo/teo/to	tienes	tien	tenemos	tenéis	tienen
	imperfect	tenía	teníes	tenía	teníamos/teníemos	teníais/teníeis	teníen
	preterite	tevi/tuvi	tuviesti/tuvisti	tevo/tuvo	tuviemos/tuvimos	tuviestis/tuvistis	tuvieron
	pluperfect	tuviera/tuviere	tuvieras/tuvieres	tuviera/tuviere	tuviéramos/tuviéremos	tuvierais/tuviereis	tuvieran/tuvieren
	future	tendré	tendrás	tendrá	tendremos	tendréis	tendrán
	conditional	tendría	tendríes	tendría	tendríamos/tendríemos	tendríais/tendríeis	tendríen
subjunctive	present	tenga	tengas	tenga	tengamos	tengáis	tengan
	imperfect	tuviera/tuviere	tuvieras/tuvieres	tuviera/tuviere	tuviéramos/tuviéremos	tuvierais/tuviereis	tuvieran/tuvieren
imperative			ten			tenéi

• Reference http://www.academiadelallingua.com/diccionariu/gramatica_llingua.pdf

Bikol Central

Alternative forms

• tinir

Etymology

Borrowed from Spanish tener.

Pronunciation

• Hyphenation: te‧ner
• IPA^(key): /teˈneɾ/ [teˈn̪eɾ]

Verb

tenér

1. to stay; to remain

Derived terms

• magtener

 

Related terms

• tenedor

 

Interlingua

Verb

tener

1. to hold

Conjugation

    Conjugation of tener

infinitive		tener
participle		present	perfect
		tenente	tenite
active		simple	perfect
	present	tene	ha tenite
	past	teneva	habeva tenite
	future	tenera	habera tenite
	conditional	tenerea	haberea tenite
	imperative	tene
passive		simple	perfect
	present	es tenite	ha essite tenite
	past	esseva tenite	habeva essite tenite
	future	essera tenite	habera essite tenite
	conditional	esserea tenite	haberea essite tenite
	imperative	sia tenite

Italian

Verb

tener (apocopated)

1. Apocopic form of tenere

Latin

Etymology

Disputed; either:

• From Proto-Indo-European *ten- (“to stretch, draw”). Cognates would include Ancient Greek τείνω (teínō), Sanskrit तनोति (tanóti) and Old English þennan. (Can this⁽⁺⁾ etymology be sourced?)
• Ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *ter- (“soft, weak, tender; young, small”) with dissimilation or metathesis: according to M. de Vaan, from Proto-Italic *terenos along with Sabine terenum (“soft”). Further cognates would include Epic Greek τέρην (térēn, “soft, gentle”), Old Armenian թոռն (tʻoṙn, “grandchild”), Middle Armenian թարմ (tʻarm, “fresh”) and Sanskrit तरुण (táruṇa, “young, tender, juvenile”), तर्ण (tárṇa, “calf”).

Pronunciation

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): /ˈte.ner/, [ˈt̪ɛnɛr]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /ˈte.ner/, [ˈt̪ɛːner]

Adjective

tener (feminine tenera, neuter tenerum, comparative tenerior, superlative tenerrimus, adverb tenerē); first/second-declension adjective (nominative masculine singular in -er)

1. soft, delicate, tender
2. young, youthful
3. effeminate, sensitive
4. (poetic) erotic

Declension

First/second-declension adjective (nominative masculine singular in -er).

	singular				plural
	masculine	feminine	neuter		masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	tener	tenera	tenerum		tenerī	tenerae	tenera
genitive	tenerī	tenerae	tenerī		tenerōrum	tenerārum	tenerōrum
dative	tenerō	tenerae	tenerō		tenerīs
accusative	tenerum	teneram	tenerum		tenerōs	tenerās	tenera
ablative	tenerō	tenerā	tenerō		tenerīs
vocative	tener	tenera	tenerum		tenerī	tenerae	tenera

Derived terms

• tenellulus
• tenerāscō
• tenerē
• teneritās

Descendants

• Balkan Romance:
  • Aromanian: tinir, tiniru, tinãr
  • Istro-Romanian: tiner
  • Megleno-Romanian: tinir
  • Romanian: tânăr
• Italo-Romance:
  • Italian: tenero
  • Sicilian: tènniru, tènnuru
• Padanian:
  • Friulian: tenar
  • Ligurian: tégno, ténio
  • Lombard: tender, tendro
  • Piedmontese: tënner, tenre, tenr
  • Romansch: tener, tegnair
  • Venetan: tènaro, tèndro, tènero
• Northern Gallo-Romance:
  • Old French: tendre
    • French: tendre
    • → Middle English: tender
      • English: tender
• Southern Gallo-Romance:
  • Catalan: tendre
  • Occitan: tendre

    Gascon: tenhèr, trende

    Languedocien: tenre

• Ibero-Romance:
  • Asturian: tienru
  • Galician: tenro
  • Portuguese: terno, tenro
  • Spanish: tierno, ternero
• Borrowings:
  • → Proto-Brythonic: *tɨner
    • Breton: tener
    • Welsh: tyner

Further reading

• “tener”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “tener”, in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
• tener in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.
• Carl Meißner, Henry William Auden (1894) Latin Phrase-Book‎^[1], London: Macmillan and Co.
  • (ambiguous) to be confined to one's bed: lecto teneri
    
  • (ambiguous) to be in gross error, seriously misled: magno errore teneri
    
  • (ambiguous) to be enamoured of philosophy: philosophiae (sapientiae) studio teneri (Acad. 1. 2. 4)
    
  • (ambiguous) to cherish a hope: spe duci, niti, teneri
    
  • (ambiguous) to long for a thing, yearn for it: desiderio alicuius rei teneri, affici (more strongly flagrare, incensum esse)
    
  • (ambiguous) to be bound by one's word; to be on one's honour: fide obstrictum teneri (Pis. 13. 29)
    
  • (ambiguous) to have an inclination for a thing: studio alicuius rei teneri
    
  • (ambiguous) to be bound by oath: iureiurando teneri (Off. 3. 27. 100)
    
  • (ambiguous) to be the slave of superstition: superstitione teneri, constrictum esse, obligatum esse
    
  • (ambiguous) to be bound by a law: lege teneri
    
  • (ambiguous) to be convicted by some one's evidence: testibus teneri, convictum esse
    

Mirandese

Etymology

Inherited from Old Leonese tenere, in turn from Latin tenēre.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /tɨˈneɾ/

Verb

tener

1. (transitive) to have (own something)

Conjugation

    Conjugation of tener (irregular)

infinitive			tener
gerund			tenendo
past participle				singular		plural
		masculine		tenido		tenidos
		feminine		tenida		tenidas
person		singular			plural
		first	second	third	first	second	third
indicative		you	tu	el	nós	bós	eilhes
	present	tengo	tenes	ten	tenemos	teneis	ténen
	imperfect	tenie	tenies	tenie	teniemos	teniedes	tenien
	preterite	tube	tubiste	tubo	tubimos	tubistes	tubírun
	pluperfect	tubira	tubiras	tubira	tubíramos	tubírades	tubíran
	future	tenerei	tenerás	tenerá	teneremos	tenereis	teneran
	conditional	tenerie	teneries	tenerie	teneriemos	teneriedes	tenerien
subjunctive		you	tu	el	nós	bós	eilhes
	present	tenga	tengas	tenga	téngamos	téngades	téngan
	preterite	tubisse	tubisses	tubisse	tubíssemos	tubíssedes	tubíssen
	future	tubir	tubires	tubir	tubirmos	tubirdes	tubíren
imperative		—	tu	—	—	bós	—
	affirmative	—	ten	—	—	tenei	—
	negative	—	—	—	—	—	—
personal infinitive		you	tu	el	nós	bós	eilhes
		tener	teneres	tener	tenermos	tenerdes	tenéren

Derived terms

nouns

• tenedor m

 

verbs

• tener algua fisgada
• tener eimenda

 

References

• “tener” in Amadeu Ferreira, José Pedro Cardona Ferreira, Dicionário Mirandês-Português, 1st edition, 2004.

Romansch

Etymology 1

From Latin tener, tenerum.

Adjective

tener m (feminine singular tenra, masculine plural teners, feminine plural tenras)

1. tender

Etymology 2

From Latin teneō, tenēre.

Verb

tener

1. (Sursilvan) to hold, keep

Alternative forms

• tegnair (Rumantsch Grischun)
• taner (Sutsilvan)
• tigneir (Surmiran)
• tgnair (Puter, Vallader)

Derived terms

• tener cumpignia
• tener distanza
• tener ils polischs
• tener ora
• tener plaid
• tener quen
• tener si
• tenercasa

 

Spanish

Etymology

Inherited from Latin tenēre, teneō (“hold, keep, have”), from Proto-Italic *tenēō, stative from Proto-Indo-European *ten- (“to stretch, draw”). The preterite forms in tuv- are from contamination with those of the near-synonymous haber, hub-.

Pronunciation

• Audio:

  (file)

• IPA^(key): /teˈneɾ/ [t̪eˈneɾ]

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -eɾ
• Syllabification: te‧ner

Verb

tener (first-person singular present tengo, first-person singular preterite tuve, past participle tenido)

1. (transitive, literally) to have, possess

   Synonym: poseer

   Ella tiene seis hermanos. ― She has six brothers.

   Tengo una pluma. ― I have a pen.

2. (transitive) to have, possess, to be (a condition or quality)

   Usted tiene suerte. ― You are lucky. (literally, “You have luck.”)

   ¡Ten cuidado! ― Be careful! (literally, “Have care!”)

   ¿Quién tiene razón? ― Who is right? (literally, “Who has reason?”)

3. (transitive) to hold, grasp

   Ten esto. ― Hold this.

4. (transitive) to contain, to hold (e.g. to "hold the power to", "hold the key", "hold a clue", "hold the truth", "have a hold on", "hold in store", "hold all the cards", "hold in high regard", etc.)

   Este tarro tiene las cenizas. ― This jar contains the ashes.

   El estadio es enorme. Puede tener una capacidad de hasta cien mil espectadores.

   The stadium is huge. It can hold up to one hundred thousand spectators.

   Solía pensar que ese libro tenía todas las respuestas.

   I used to think that book held all the answers.

5. (transitive) to have, feel (internally)

   Él le tiene mucho cariño a ella. ― He has much admiration for her.

   Tengo frío. ― I feel cold.

   Tenemos hambre. ― We are hungry. (literally, “We have hunger.”)

6. (transitive) to make to feel

   Eso nos tiene tristes. ― That makes us sad.

7. (transitive) to have (a measure or age)

   Tiene tres metros de ancho. ― It is three metres wide. (literally, “It has three metres of width.”)

   Tengo veinte años. ― I am twenty (years old). (literally, “I have twenty years.”)

8. (used with que) to have to

   Tengo que salir ahora. ― I have to leave now.

9. to get (e.g. to get a minute, to get an idea, to get a chance, to get a concussion/bruise/headache, to get in an accident, to get a place, to get a view of, to get a meeting, to get a vision, etc.)

   Ese cadete necesita tenerlo bajo control. ― That cadet needs to get it under control.

10. to keep, to bear (in certain phrases; e.g. to bear in mind, bear a resemblance, keep a journal/diary, keep around something or someone)

    Ten en cuenta que es más difícil de volver a subir al cañón que descenderlo.

    Keep in mind that it's more difficult to go back up the canyon than to go down it.

    Pronto voy a comprobar sus billetes, así que ténganlos a manos.

    I will soon be checking your tickets, so keep them handy.

    Ella tuvo diez hijos, todos partos naturales. ― She bore ten children, all natural births.

11. to make (in a few select phrases)

    Ahora todo tiene sentido. ― Now everything makes sense.

12. (reflexive) to be taken (usually has deber for an auxiliary verb when used)

Usage notes

In the sense (to feel): tener is often used with nouns like calor (“heat”), frío (“cold”), hambre (“hunger”), sed (“thirst”), to indicate states; English would use adjectives instead

• Tengo hambre ― I'm hungry (literally, “I have hunger”)
• Tengo miedo ― I'm scared (literally, “I have fear”)

Conjugation

    Conjugation of tener (irregular; e-ie alternation) (See Appendix:Spanish verbs)

infinitive			tener
gerund			teniendo
past participle				masculine		feminine
		singular		tenido		tenida
		plural		tenidos		tenidas
		singular			plural
		1st person	2nd person	3rd person	1st person	2nd person	3rd person
indicative		yo	tú vos	él/ella/ello usted	nosotros nosotras	vosotros vosotras	ellos/ellas ustedes
	present	tengo	tienestú tenésvos	tiene	tenemos	tenéis	tienen
	imperfect	tenía	tenías	tenía	teníamos	teníais	tenían
	preterite	tuve	tuviste	tuvo	tuvimos	tuvisteis	tuvieron
	future	tendré	tendrás	tendrá	tendremos	tendréis	tendrán
	conditional	tendría	tendrías	tendría	tendríamos	tendríais	tendrían
subjunctive		yo	tú vos	él/ella/ello usted	nosotros nosotras	vosotros vosotras	ellos/ellas ustedes
	present	tenga	tengastú tengásvos2	tenga	tengamos	tengáis	tengan
	imperfect (ra)	tuviera	tuvieras	tuviera	tuviéramos	tuvierais	tuvieran
	imperfect (se)	tuviese	tuvieses	tuviese	tuviésemos	tuvieseis	tuviesen
	future1	tuviere	tuvieres	tuviere	tuviéremos	tuviereis	tuvieren
imperative		—	tú vos	usted	nosotros nosotras	vosotros vosotras	ustedes
	affirmative		tentú tenévos	tenga	tengamos	tened	tengan
	negative		no tengas	no tenga	no tengamos	no tengáis	no tengan

¹Mostly obsolete, now mainly used in legal language.
²Argentine and Uruguayan voseo prefers the tú form for the present subjunctive.

    Selected combined forms of tener (irregular; e-ie alternation)

These forms are generated automatically and may not actually be used. Pronoun usage varies by region.

		singular			plural
		1st person	2nd person	3rd person	1st person	2nd person	3rd person
with infinitive tener	dative	tenerme	tenerte	tenerle, tenerse	tenernos	teneros	tenerles, tenerse
	accusative	tenerme	tenerte	tenerlo, tenerla, tenerse	tenernos	teneros	tenerlos, tenerlas, tenerse
with gerund teniendo	dative	teniéndome	teniéndote	teniéndole, teniéndose	teniéndonos	teniéndoos	teniéndoles, teniéndose
	accusative	teniéndome	teniéndote	teniéndolo, teniéndola, teniéndose	teniéndonos	teniéndoos	teniéndolos, teniéndolas, teniéndose
with informal second-person singular tú imperative ten	dative	tenme	tente	tenle	tennos	not used	tenles
	accusative	tenme	tente	tenlo, tenla	tennos	not used	tenlos, tenlas
with informal second-person singular vos imperative tené	dative	teneme	tenete	tenele	tenenos	not used	teneles
	accusative	teneme	tenete	tenelo, tenela	tenenos	not used	tenelos, tenelas
with formal second-person singular imperative tenga	dative	téngame	not used	téngale, téngase	ténganos	not used	téngales
	accusative	téngame	not used	téngalo, téngala, téngase	ténganos	not used	téngalos, téngalas
with first-person plural imperative tengamos	dative	not used	tengámoste	tengámosle	tengámonos	tengámoos	tengámosles
	accusative	not used	tengámoste	tengámoslo, tengámosla	tengámonos	tengámoos	tengámoslos, tengámoslas
with informal second-person plural imperative tened	dative	tenedme	not used	tenedle	tenednos	teneos	tenedles
	accusative	tenedme	not used	tenedlo, tenedla	tenednos	teneos	tenedlos, tenedlas
with formal second-person plural imperative tengan	dative	ténganme	not used	ténganle	téngannos	not used	ténganles, ténganse
	accusative	ténganme	not used	ténganlo, ténganla	téngannos	not used	ténganlos, ténganlas, ténganse

Derived terms

• nadar y tener la ropa
• no tener ánimos (“to not feel like, to not be in the mood for”)
• no tener arreglo (“to be beyond repair”)
• no tener cabida en (“to have no place for, to have no room for”) (figuratively)
• qué tienes
• tenedero
• tenedor
• tener a bien
• tener acceso
• tener algo que ver con
• tener antecedentes (“to have a record”) (penology)
• tener en cuenta
• tener en mente
• tener ganas de
• tener los labios sellados
• tener lugar
• tener por
• tener prioridad (“to take precedence, to take priority, to be given priority”)
• tener puesto
• tener que
• tener razón
• tener sentido
• tenerlos bien puestos
• tenerlos puestos
• teniente

 

Related terms

• abstener (“to abstain”)
• atener (“to maintain”)
• contener (“to contain”)
• detener (“to detain”)
• entretener (“to entertain”)
• mantener (“to maintain”)
• manutener (“to maintain”)
• obtener (“to obtain”)
• retener (“to retain”)
• sostener (“to sustain”)
• tenis
• tenor

 

See also

• haber

 

Further reading

• “tener”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 2024 December 10