How people feel: idiomatic uses of 'tener' + noun | Spanish

Starter quiz

Match the Spanish and English.
- canción (f)
  
  ⇔
  
  song ✓
- costo (m)
  
  ⇔
  
  cost ✓
- fiesta (f)
  
  ⇔
  
  party ✓
- premio (m)
  
  ⇔
  
  prize ✓
- película (f)
  
  ⇔
  
  film ✓
- tarta (f)
  
  ⇔
  
  cake ✓
Which verbs mean 'to take, taking'?
- intentar
- coger ✓
- ganar
- cubrir
- tomar ✓
Match the Spanish and English.
- tener
  
  ⇔
  
  to have, having ✓
- tengo
  
  ⇔
  
  I have ✓
- tienes
  
  ⇔
  
  you have ✓
- tiene
  
  ⇔
  
  she, he, it has ✓
- tenemos
  
  ⇔
  
  we have ✓
- tienen
  
  ⇔
  
  they have ✓
Write in Spanish: 'I am ten years old'.
- 'Tengo diez años.' ✓
Which pronouns are plural?
- él
- ella
- nosotros ✓
- nosotras ✓
- ellas ✓
Write in Spanish: 'They (m) are bored.' Include the pronoun.
- 'Ellos están aburridos.' ✓

An ______ is a phrase or expression whose meaning we don’t translate word-for-word.
- 'idiom' ✓
Order the numbers from smallest to largest.
- 1
  
  ⇔
  
  trece
- 2
  
  ⇔
  
  catorce
- 3
  
  ⇔
  
  quince
- 4
  
  ⇔
  
  dieciséis
- 5
  
  ⇔
  
  diecisiete
- 6
  
  ⇔
  
  dieciocho
- 7
  
  ⇔
  
  diecinueve
'______ tenemos veinte años.' Choose the correct missing pronoun.
- yo
- tú
- él
- nosotros ✓
- ellas
Match the Spanish and English.
- tener calor
  
  ⇔
  
  to be hot ✓
- tener éxito
  
  ⇔
  
  to be succesful ✓
- tener miedo
  
  ⇔
  
  to be afraid ✓
- tener razón
  
  ⇔
  
  to be correct, right ✓
- tener sueño
  
  ⇔
  
  to be sleepy ✓
- tener suerte
  
  ⇔
  
  to be lucky ✓
Order the words to say: 'You are lucky but I am sleepy.'
- 1
  
  ⇔
  
  tú
- 2
  
  ⇔
  
  tienes
- 3
  
  ⇔
  
  suerte
- 4
  
  ⇔
  
  pero
- 5
  
  ⇔
  
  yo
- 6
  
  ⇔
  
  tengo
- 7
  
  ⇔
  
  sueño
Write in Spanish: 'Is he hungry?'
- '¿Tiene hambre?' ✓

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The verb 'tener' can also be translated as 'to be + adjective' when used as an idiom, 'tener + noun'.
Its singular forms are: 'tengo', 'tienes', 'tiene' and its plural forms are: 'tenemos' and 'tienen'.
The Spanish plural subject pronouns are: 'nosotros/as', 'ellos/as'. They add clarity about who the verb refers to.

The verb 'tener' always means 'to have, having'.

The verb 'tener' translates into English as 'to be' when used as part of idioms, e.g. 'tengo suerte' translates as 'I am lucky'.

Tener - -er verb meaning 'to have, having'; with some nouns 'tener' also translates as 'to be, being'
Idiom - a phrase or expression whose meaning we don't translate word-for-word, e.g. 'It's raining cats and dogs'.