Spanish
Grade 3
15 min
El Verbo 'Tener' (The Verb 'To Have'): Possession and Age
Review the verb 'tener' and its uses for expressing possession, age, and physical sensations.
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Introduction & Learning Objectives
Learning Objectives
Identify the six present-tense forms of the verb 'tener'.
Correctly use 'tengo', 'tienes', and 'tiene' to talk about what people have.
Use the formula 'tener + número + años' to state their own age and the age of others.
Ask a friend '¿Cuántos años tienes?' (How old are you?).
Differentiate between using 'tener' for possession and for age.
Write simple sentences in Spanish using 'tener' to describe what they and their family members have.
Do you have a pet or a favorite toy? 🧸 In Spanish, we use a special verb to talk about what we have and even how old we are!
Today, we will learn all about the super useful verb 'tener', which means 'to have'. We will se...
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Key Concepts & Vocabulary
TermDefinitionExample
Verbo (Verb)An action word. 'Tener' is a verb that means 'to have'.In the sentence 'Yo tengo un perro', 'tengo' is the verb.
Conjugación (Conjugation)Changing a verb to match who is doing the action.We change 'tener' to 'tengo' for 'yo' (I) and to 'tienes' for 'tú' (you).
Posesión (Possession)Something that you own or have.If you have a backpack, it is your possession. 'Tú tienes una mochila.'
Edad (Age)How old someone is.In Spanish, you 'have' years. To say 'I am 8 years old,' you say 'Yo tengo ocho años.'
TengoThe 'yo' (I) form of 'tener'. It means 'I have'.Tengo un libro de dinosaurios. (I have a dinosaur b...
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Grammar Rules & Patterns
Conjugation of 'Tener' (Singular Forms)
yo -> tengo | tú -> tienes | él/ella/usted -> tiene
'Tener' is an irregular verb, so it doesn't follow the normal -ER verb pattern. You must memorize these special forms. We use 'tengo' for 'I', 'tienes' for a friend, and 'tiene' for one other person.
Formula for Possession
Subject + Form of 'tener' + Noun
To say someone has something, start with who has it (like 'Yo'), use the correct form of 'tener' (like 'tengo'), and then say what they have (like 'una pelota'). Example: 'Ella tiene una muñeca.' (She has a doll.)
Formula for Age
Subject + Form of 'tener' + Number + 'años'
T...
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Sign Up Free to ContinueSample Practice Questions
Challenging
Read the story: "Ana tiene una muñeca. Pedro tiene un carro rojo. Ellos juegan juntos." What does Ana have?
A.Una muñeca
B.Un carro rojo
C.Un amigo
D.Juguetes
Challenging
Which sentence is the correct way to say "I am 9 years old" in Spanish?
A.Yo soy nueve años.
B.Yo tengo nueve años.
C.Yo estoy nueve años.
D.Yo es nueve años.
Challenging
Look at this conversation:
Person 1: "¿Cuántos años tiene tu hermano?"
Person 2: "______"
Which is the best answer for Person 2?
A.Yo tengo diez años.
B.Mi hermano es diez.
C.Él tiene diez años.
D.Sí, tengo un hermano.
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