Uses of TENER The verb TENER has various uses in Spanish. The most obvious is that it signifies possession, i.e. "Juan tiene un perro" (Juan has a dog). TENER is also associated with basic human needs such as hunger, thirst, and sleep. In English we use the verb "'to be" with these qualities, such as I AM hungry, thirsty, and sleepy. In Spanish you possess them and you say I HAVE hunger, I HAVE thirst and I HAVE drowsiness: tengo hambre; tengo sed; tengo sueno. Furthermore, TENER is used with age. In this sense, you own years instead of identifying yourself with them, as we do in English. For example, "I am 25" in Spanish is "Tengo 25". Remember that TENER is a "Go" verb, meaning that it has an irregular yo: tengo. Furthermore, it is an e-ie stem change verb thus the conjugated verb should look like this: Tengo, Tienes, Tiene, Tenemos, Tenéis, Tienen TENER is also helpful to express necessity, or something that you HAVE TO DO. To say you have to do something, you conjugate a form of TENER and follow it with QUE and an INFINITIVE. For example, Yo Tengo + que+ estudiar=I have to study. Another example: Nosotros tenemos que comer= We have to eat. In the exercise that follows, conjugate the verb TENER in the appropriate present tense form. Keep in mind why you are using TENER. If vocabulary words get in the way of your comprehension, be certain to consult a dictionary. Typically students do not know when to use TENER simply because they do not recognize vocabulary words of basic human needs, such as hunger and thirst.