Haber vs Tener
In Spanish, haber and tener serve different functions: haber appears in impersonal constructions and perfect tenses while tener expresses possession, obligation, or experiences. This guide compares them with clear examples.
Haber
Haber is primarily used as an auxiliary in compound tenses and in impersonal expressions to indicate existence; it rarely appears conjugated for person when introducing a noun. Think of haber as signaling "there is/are" or forming perfect tenses.
Impersonal haber
Impersonal haber appears as hay, hubo, había etc. to report existence and is followed by a noun; the form agrees with time not with an imagined subject.
Perfect Tenses
Haber functions as an auxiliary that precedes a past participle to form perfect tenses like he hablado (I have spoken); these forms help place actions relative to time.
Examples
| Spanish Example | English Translation | Note |
|---|---|---|
| ☁️ Hace mucho que ha llovido. | It has been raining for a long time. | Perfect tense with weather context |
| 🌅 Hoy ha salido el sol temprano. | The sun has come out early today. | Present perfect with weather |
| 🌧️ Había llovido antes de salir. | It had rained before leaving. | Past perfect tense |
| ⚡ Hubo una tormenta anoche. | There was a storm last night. | Preterite of haber, event occurred |
| 🌈 Hay un arcoíris en el cielo. | There is a rainbow in the sky. | Present of haber as existence |
Tener
Tener expresses possession, physical or emotional states, and is used in idiomatic phrases for obligations or experiences; it conjugates according to the owner or subject. Think of tener when relating concrete things or feelings to someone.
Possession
Use tener to show ownership or to say someone has something tangible or an attribute like age; the sentence agrees with the possessor.
Obligations and Idioms
Tener appears in set expressions like tener que plus an infinitive for necessity, and in phrases for sensations or conditions (tener hambre, tener miedo).
Examples
| Spanish Example | English Translation | Note |
|---|---|---|
| ☂️ Tengo un paraguas nuevo. | I have a new umbrella. | Simple possession |
| 🧥 Tienes una chaqueta extra. | You have an extra jacket. | Possession with tú |
| ⏰ Tengo que recoger la ropa antes de llover. | I have to pick up the clothes before it rains. | Obligation with tener que |
| 🌬️ Tuvieron que cerrar las ventanas por el viento. | They had to close the windows because of the wind. | Past obligation |
| 🤧 Tengo frío y estoy resfriado. | I am cold and have a cold. | Physical feeling and health |
Summary
Use haber for existence in impersonal constructions and as an auxiliary in perfect tenses; use tener to show possession, describe physical/emotional states, and express obligations with idiomatic turns.
Last updated: Sun Sep 14, 2025