{"id":2156,"date":"2022-09-22T05:30:43","date_gmt":"2022-09-22T05:30:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.escuela-hablamos.com\/?p=2156"},"modified":"2022-09-21T07:58:07","modified_gmt":"2022-09-21T07:58:07","slug":"tener-or-haber-which-one-should-you-use","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.escuela-hablamos.com\/zh\/tener-or-haber-which-one-should-you-use\/","title":{"rendered":"Tener<\/i> or Haber<\/i> \u2013 Which one should you use?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Both of them, more or less, equate to the verb to have in English, but they aren\u2019t interchangeable and have different uses<\/span><\/h2><\/div>
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Once you start learning Spanish<\/b>, you\u2019ll soon come across both of these important verbs \u2013 tener<\/b> and haber<\/b>. Both of them, more or less, equate to the verb to have<\/i><\/b> in English, but they aren\u2019t interchangeable and have different uses. Let\u2019s dive in and have a look at why and when we need to use these two words.<\/p>\n

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What\u2019s the difference?<\/span><\/h2><\/div>
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So, the answer to this question is fairly simple but you might need some examples to fully pillarlo <\/b>(<\/i>get it<\/i><\/b>)<\/i>. In simple terms, tener<\/b> is the verb to have<\/i><\/b> <\/i>when used as the main verb<\/b> in a sentence and means possession or owning<\/b>. On the other hand, haber<\/b> is an auxiliary verb<\/b> which we have to use when forming various verb tenses<\/b> in Spanish. Have a look at these sentences to see if you can spot the difference.<\/p>\n

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<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n
Haber<\/b><\/td>\nTener<\/b><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
He comido una manzana esta ma\u00f1ana \u2013 I have eaten an apple this morning<\/em><\/td>\nTengo dos perros y un gato \u2013 I have two dogs and a cat<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Hab\u00edan practicado mucho para presentar una obra perfecta \u2013 They had practised a lot to be able to put on a great show<\/em><\/td>\nMe dijeron que tienen mucho trabajo que hacer estos d\u00edas \u2013 They told me they have a lot of work to do at the moment <\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

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<\/p>\n

In the table above you have an example of haber<\/b> in the present perfect<\/b> and the past perfect<\/b> where it simply acts as the auxiliary <\/b>for the main verb<\/b>. The two examples of tener<\/b> show you that the animals and the work are owned\/possessed<\/b> by someone.<\/p>\n

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Other uses of tener<\/span><\/h2><\/div>
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Apart from the basics we\u2019ve spoken about already, there are specific things which we need to use tener<\/b> for in Spanish.<\/p>\n

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  • To talk about someone\u2019s age\n
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    • Tengo<\/strong> 16 a\u00f1os \u2013 I am 16 <\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
    • To express \u201chave to + verb\u201d as in obligation\n
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      • Tenemos que estudiar<\/strong> para el examen \u2013 We have to study for the exam<\/em><\/li>\n
      • Tiene que ser<\/strong> m\u00e1s comprensivo \u2013 He has to be more understanding<\/em><\/li>\n
      • Tienen que<\/strong> limpiar la casa \u2013 They have to clean the house<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
      • To talk about emotions, feelings and certain states\n
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        • Tenemos<\/strong> demasiado fr\u00edo \u2013 We are too cold <\/em><\/li>\n
        • Ten\u00edas<\/strong> raz\u00f3n \u2013 You were right<\/em><\/li>\n
        • \u00bfTen\u00e9is sed?<\/strong> \u2013 Are you thirsty?<\/em><\/li>\n
        • Ten\u00eda<\/strong> sue\u00f1o \u2013 He was tired<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
        • In some idiomatic expressions\n
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          • Tener<\/strong> lugar \u2013 To take place<\/em><\/li>\n
          • Tener<\/strong> ganas de \u2013 To want to do something<\/em><\/li>\n
          • Tener<\/strong> cari\u00f1o \u2013 To be fond of<\/em><\/li>\n
          • Tener<\/strong> cuidado \u2013 To be careful<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

            As you can see in the English translations, a lot of these phrases are expressed with the verb to be<\/b> in English. This is often confusing for learners of Spanish so try to start learning expressions<\/b> rather than translating everything word-for-word.<\/p>\n

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            Other uses of haber<\/span><\/h2><\/div>
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            Just like with our other verb, haber<\/b> has a particular set of uses which we\u2019ll look at below.<\/p>\n

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            • To translate the structure \u201cthere is\/are\u201d\n
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              • Hay<\/strong> tres personas en la sala \u2013 There are three people in the room <\/em><\/li>\n
              • Hab\u00eda<\/strong> unos soldados en la calle \u2013 There were some soldiers in the Street <\/em><\/li>\n
              • No hay<\/strong> tiempo para ir al parque \u2013 There\u2019s no time to go to the park <\/em><\/li>\n
              • \u00bfHay<\/strong> alg\u00fan museo por aqu\u00ed? \u2013 Is there a museum around here?<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
              • To talk about things you need to do with \u201chaber + que + verb\u201d\n
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                • Hay que comprar<\/strong> papel higi\u00e9nico \u2013 It\u2019s necessary to buy toilet paper\/We need to buy toilet paper<\/em><\/li>\n
                • Ma\u00f1ana hay que terminar<\/strong> el proyecto \u2013 It\u2019s necessary to finish the project tomorrow\/We need to finish the project tomorrow<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
                • To talk about events which occurred in the past or future\n
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                  • Hubo<\/strong> un accidente en la autopista \u2013 There was an accident on the motorway<\/em><\/li>\n
                  • Va a haber<\/strong> un festival en el pueblo el fin de semana que viene \u2013 There\u2019s going to be a festival in the town next weekend<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

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                    <\/p>\n

                    Hopefully this quick guide to tener<\/b> and haber<\/b> will help you when speaking Spanish<\/b> to be able to select the right verb to use. A good way to learn the differences is to read and listen<\/b> to as much Spanish as possible so you see lots of ejemplos<\/b> (<\/i>examples<\/i><\/b>)<\/i>.<\/p>\n

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                    Your profe<\/b> (<\/i>teacher<\/i><\/b>) <\/i>here at Hablamos<\/b> will help you better understand all of the points above and you\u2019ll be able to practise <\/b>with people from all around the world. Hablamos – full-on Spanish!<\/mark><\/span><\/h3><\/div>
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