Saying ‘I have…’ should be simple, however it can be quite the opposite, purely because, in Spanish, we use two different verbs to say it. These verbs are HABER and TENER and they can cause confusion if you start getting over complex and worrying about the many different ways you can use and translate them into English. In reality, most of the the time these two verbs translate as ‘to have‘ and that is what we will deal with here.
Despite the various ways to use these two verbs, for now, it’s best to keep things simple and just learn how to choose between the two when you want to say ‘I have…’. You can learn the other uses later, once you gain some confidence with their main use. Afterall, ‘I have…’ is the phrase you will say most of all!
A simple explanation of how to say ‘I have…’:
As mentioned, the two verbs that are used to say ‘to have’ are HABER and TENER. The main thing to keep in mind when looking at Haber VS Tener is:
We use Tener to say what we have possession of and we use Haber to say what we have done.
Here are some examples:
| TENER + noun (thing) | Use: To say what I have possession of! |
| Tengo un hermano. Tengo sed. Tengo mucho trabajo. | I have a brother. I have thirst (I am thirsty) I have lots of work. |
| HABER + past participle * | Use: To say what I have done! |
| He terminado el trabajo. He decidido no ir. He vivido en Londres. | I have finished the work. I have decided not to go. I have lived in London. |
That’s pretty much it!
Once you have decided whether you ‘have possession of‘ something or whether you ‘have done‘ something you know which verb to choose.
You’ll find that it’s easier to decided whether you need TENER or HABER when thinking in the present tense and thinking about yourself.
Therefore, the best tip I can give you is that, whilst you are still getting to grips with this, no matter which tense you are working in, revert back to the present to make your choice and think about yourself. In other words, think of ‘I have…’. Make your choice between TENER and HABER and then you can deal with the correct formation of the verb, according to I/you/we have etc and the tense (time frame).
For example, she will have the money.
- First, think ‘I have the money’… ‘Tengo el dinero’.
- Then, consider who you really want to talk about and which tense you need…
- She will have the money. (Ella tendrá el dinero).
Just a reminder!
Saying ‘I have done something’ or ‘I have + possession’ are the main uses for HABER and TENER but as mentioned earlier, they do have other uses. Don’t be too eager to work on the other uses just yet, because if you can be confident when using them in this situation it will make it less confusing when you discover their other translations. Trust me… poco a poco (bit by bit) will help it stick!
Practice makes perfect when it comes to making the right choice so head to Simple Spanish Tips and have a go at the interactive practice activities for HABER VS TENER. You’ll soon get the hang of it!
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