Have you ever wondered why Spanish speakers say "I have cold" instead of "I am cold"? The secret lies in mastering idiomatic expressions with the verb tener (to have). These expressions are absolutely essential for sounding natural in Spanish conversations, and they're used countless times every day by native speakers.

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Understanding Tener: The Foundation for Spanish Idioms

Before diving into Spanish idioms with tener, let's quickly review this irregular verb's present tense conjugation, since most tener expressions use the present tense:

Yo tengo | I have

Tú tienes | You have

Él/Ella tiene | He/She has

Nosotros tenemos | We have

Vosotros tenéis | You have

Ellos tienen | They have

Physical Sensations with Tener: How Spanish Describes the Body

Spanish speakers express physical sensations using tener rather than estar (to be). This might feel counterintuitive at first, but once you master these expressions, you'll sound much more natural. Here are the most common physical sensation idioms with tener:

Tener frío/calor (to be cold/hot)

Tener hambre (to be hungry)

Tener sed (to be thirsty)

Tener sueño (to be sleepy)

Tener cansancio (to be tired)

Bueno, pero tengo frío.

Well, but I'm cold.

Caption 31, Natalia de Ecuador - Palabras de uso básico

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Y más que tenemos hambre ya a esta hora.

And plus, we're already hungry at this hour.

Caption 106, 75 minutos - Del campo a la mesa

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Tenemos sueño.

We are sleepy.

Caption 38, El Aula Azul - Estados de ánimo

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Emotional States and Psychological Conditions Using Tener

Beyond physical sensations, tener expressions also cover emotional and psychological states. These Spanish idioms are crucial for expressing feelings and mental states naturally:

Tener miedo (to be afraid)

Tener ganas (to want/to desire)

Tener prisa (to be in a hurry)

Tener vergüenza (to be ashamed)

Tener suerte (to be lucky)

Tener razón (to be right)

¡Tengo miedo, tengo miedo, tengo miedo!

I'm afraid, I'm afraid, I'm afraid!

Caption 42, Muñeca Brava - 43 La reunión

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Siento que te cansaste y tienes ganas

I feel that you got tired and you want

Caption 4, Circo - Velocidades luz

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La gente parece que siempre tiene prisa...

People seem to always be in a hurry...

Caption 38, Maestra en Madrid - Nuria y amigo

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En este momento duda porque tiene vergüenza de ir a la escuela.

At this moment she hesitates because she's ashamed to go to school.

Caption 49, Con ánimo de lucro - Cortometraje

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Talking About Age in Spanish: The Essential Tener Expression

One of the most fundamental tener expressions you'll need is for stating age. Unlike English, Spanish always uses tener (to have) when talking about someone's age, never ser (to be):
 

Tengo veintiún años y soy estudiante de negocios internacionales.

I'm twenty-one years old and I'm a student of international business.

Caption 2, Amigos D.F. - Consejos para la calle

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Practice Makes Perfect with Spanish Tener Idioms

Now that you've learned these essential tener expressions, you're ready to sound more natural in Spanish conversations. These idioms appear constantly in everyday Spanish, so practicing them will significantly improve your fluency.

Remember that mastering Spanish idiomatic expressions takes time and practice. The key is to start using these tener phrases in context rather than trying to translate directly from English. We encourage you to explore our video library to hear these expressions used by native speakers in real conversations.

Have you discovered any other interesting tener expressions in our videos? We'd love to hear about your progress with Spanish idioms. Share your experiences and questions with us—we're here to help you on your Spanish learning journey!

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Llevo ocho años en Estados Unidos.

I've spent eight years in the United States.

Caption 18, Maestra en Madrid - Nuria y amigo

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As we've mentioned, the verb llevar is used not only for "to carry," but also to speak about a duration of time.

Llevar is often used to imply that an action continues (or will continue in the future). In this case, Nuria tells us that she has spent eight years living in the USA (and she will continue to do so).

We might be tempted to translate the present tense conjugation llevo by also using the present tense in English -- "I spend" or "I am spending" -- but, to retain the same meaning as the Spanish, we use the present perfect, "I have spent..."

Llevo cinco horas viendo la televisión.
I've spent five hours watching television.
(I've been watching television for five hours.)

Ana lleva cinco días estudiando español para su próximo examen.
Ana has spent five days studying spanish for her next exam (and she continues studying).

Shortly thereafter Nuria informs us:

Pero pasé casi diez años en Madrid haciendo mis estudios...

But I spent nearly ten years in Madrid doing my studies...

Caption 22, Maestra en Madrid - Nuria y amigo

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The verb pasar, like llevar, can take on the meaning "to spend (time)", but pasar gives us the impression that the action is completed and does not continue. Nuria spent nearly ten years in Madrid, but she is no longer living there full time.

Ana pasó cinco días estudiando español.

Ana spent five days studying spanish (and then she stopped).