Tener (to have) · Imperfect
By TutorLily Editorial Team · Last updated
Tener in the Spanish imperfect (pretérito imperfecto) is: yo tenía, tú tenías, él/ella/usted tenía, nosotros/as teníamos, vosotros/as teníais, ellos/ellas/ustedes tenían. The imperfect of tener describes ongoing past possession, age, or state — what someone 'used to have' or 'had' as a background condition. Tener is regular in the imperfect, using standard -er verb endings.
| To Have | Tener |
|---|---|
| I used to have | yo tenía |
| you used to have | tú tenías |
| he/she used to have | él/ella/usted tenía |
| we used to have | nosotros/as teníamos |
| you used to have | vosotros/as teníais |
| they used to have | ellos/ellas/ustedes tenían |
Tener (to have) in context
Sentences that use tener in the imperfect. Tap each to hear it.
As a child, I had a grey cat.
You had that same coat last year.
My grandmother had a beautiful smile.
We had a lot of energy at that age.
You had the best toys in the neighborhood.
My parents had a red car.
Working with the imperfect
The imperfect paints the background of a past scene: weather, age, habits, descriptions, ongoing actions that get interrupted. "Era de noche" (it was nighttime), "tenía cinco años" (I was five years old), "iba al parque cuando me llamaste" (I was going to the park when you called me). Only three verbs are irregular in the imperfect — ser (era), ir (iba), and ver (veía). Every other Spanish verb is regular here, which makes the imperfect one of the easiest tenses to learn.
Frequently asked questions
How do you conjugate tener in the imperfect?
When should I use 'tenía' instead of 'tuve'?
Why does the imperfect of tener carry an accent on every form?
Practice Tener (To Have) in real conversations
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