Yo tengo un libro.
English: I have a book.
- Language
- Spanish
- Level
- A0
- Unit
- Palabras auxiliares y verbos principales
- Practice types
- 0
What this grammar point covers
'Tener' is the verb used to show possession and relationships in Spanish. It is a high-frequency verb at this level.
When to use it
Use 'tener' to talk about things people own, family members, age, or features.
Key forms
- yo tengo
- tú tienes
- él/ella tiene
- no tengo / no tiene
Examples
Él tiene una hermana.
English: He has a sister.
Ellos no tienen tiempo.
English: They do not have time.
Ella tiene un teléfono nuevo.
English: She has a new phone.
Tips
- Use 'tiene' only with él, ella, usted.
- For negatives, use 'no' before the verb: no tengo.
- Practice short, repeatable sentence patterns.
Exceptions and edge cases
- In some regions, 'haber' is used for existence (hay), not for possession.