Although the Spanish verb tener literally means “to have,” in some very commonly used Spanish idiomatic expressions, tener means “to be” or may have another, unexpected meaning. Be careful, when writing, not to use the verbs ser or estar (to be) in these idiomatic expressions:
| Spanish Idiom | English Translation |
|---|---|
| tener calor | to be warm, hot |
| tener sed | to be thirsty |
| tener frío | to be cool, cold |
| tener lugar | to take place |
| tener celos de | to be jealous of |
| tener miedo de | to be afraid of |
| tener cuidado | to be careful |
| tener prisa | to be in a hurry |
| tener dolor de . . . | to have a . . . ache |
| tener razón | to be right |
| tener éxito | to succeed |
| tener sueño | to be sleepy |
| tener ganas de | to feel like |
| tener suerte | to be lucky |
| tener hambre | to be hungry |
The following example uses tener suerte: Tienes mucha suerte. (You are very lucky.)