Haber vs Tener: The Ultimate Guide to Spanish ‘To Have’

Understanding Tener: Possession, Obligation, and States

The verb Tener is highly versatile and is used in three main contexts:

1. Tener to Express Ownership or Possession

This is the most direct translation of “to have” meaning “to possess.” The structure is straightforward:

• Subject + tener (conjugated) + what is owned or possessed.

  • Tú tienes un libro. – You have a book. (Note: The subject pronoun “Tú” can often be omitted: “Tienes un libro.”)
  • Ellos tienen una reunión. – They have a meeting.
  • Yo tengo un hermano. – I have a brother.
  • Tenemos tarea que hacer. – We have homework to do.
  • El gato tiene ojos verdes. – The cat has green eyes.
  • Tengo un dolor de cabeza. – I have a headache.
  • ¿Tienes un lápiz? – Do you have a pencil?
  • No tengo hijos. – I don’t have children.
  • Ellos tienen una casa grande. – They have a big house.

  To learn more about its conjugations, explore the Tener conjugation guide.

2. Tener to Express Duty or Obligation

Tener can also convey a sense of duty or obligation, similar to the English “to have to” or “must.” This structure involves the preposition que followed by an infinitive verb:

Subject + tener (conjugated) + que + infinitive verb.

• Él tiene que limpiar su habitación. – He has to clean his room.
• Ellos tienen que venir. – They have to come.
• El sol tiene que salir. – The sun has to come out.
• Tengo que ir a la escuela. – I have to go to school.
• Tienes que pensar antes de hablar. – You have to think before you speak.
• Ella tiene que dirigir su compañía. – She has to manage her company.

3. Tener to Express Feelings or States

Many common feelings, physical states, and even age are expressed in Spanish using Tener followed by a noun, rather than “to be” (ser/estar) with an adjective, as in English.

Subject + tener (conjugated) + feeling or state (noun).

• Tengo miedo. – I’m scared (literally, “I have fear”).
• Ellos tienen frío. – They are cold (literally, “They have cold”).
• Tenemos hambre. – We are hungry (literally, “We have hunger”).

Understanding Haber: Existence and Auxiliary Verb

The verb Haber has two primary uses that are distinct from Tener:

1. Haber as a Main Verb to Express Existence

In this context, Haber is most frequently used with the impersonal form “hay” (meaning “there is” or “there are”). It expresses the existence of something or someone.

• Hay + what exists.

  • Hay una fiesta en mi casa. – There is a party at my house.
  • Hay una mosca. – There is a fly.
  • Hay muchas tiendas. – There are a lot of stores.

   

2. Haber as an Auxiliary Verb to Form Compound Tenses

The most common and crucial role of Haber is as an auxiliary (or helping) verb to form compound tenses, such as the present perfect. In this context, Haber is always followed by a past participle.

Conjugation of Haber in Present Tense (Auxiliary)

Haber + Past Participle (Present Perfect Tense)

This structure forms the present perfect tense, which expresses actions completed in the past that are still relevant to the present.

• Subject + haber (conjugated) + past participle.

  • Yo he comido. – I have eaten.
  • Tú has comido. – You have eaten.
  • Él/ella ha comido. – He/She has eaten.
  • Nosotros hemos comido. – We have eaten.
  • Ustedes han comido. – You have eaten.
  • Ellos han comido. – They have eaten.
  • Has visto la revista. – You have seen the magazine.
  • Yo no he llegado a casa. – I haven’t arrived home.
  • Ellos han tocado el perro. – They have touched the dog.
  • Nosotros hemos cantado en un bar. – We have sung at a bar.

  For a deeper dive into this tense, see our guide on the Spanish present perfect tense.

Haber and Tener in Past Tenses (Imperfect)

Both Haber and Tener can also be conjugated in various past tenses. The table below shows their conjugations in the Imperfect Tense, which is used for ongoing, habitual, or descriptive actions in the past.

Examples in the Imperfect Tense:

• Ella tenía una computadora moderna. – She had a modern computer.
• Yo tenía que comprar un pastel. – I had to buy a cake.
• Ellos tenían que hacer todo rápido. – They had to do everything fast.
• Lorenzo tenía un jardín hermoso. – Lorenzo had a beautiful garden.
• Yo había visto algo así. – I had seen something like that.
• Él había conseguido un apartamento perfecto. – He had found a perfect apartment.