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Spoken Description

Guía rápida sobre Haber vs Tener en español: diferencias, usos y ejemplos prácticos para entender cuándo usar cada verbo auxiliar y verbo principal.

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A quick guide to Haber vs Tener in Spanish: differences, uses, and practical examples to understand when to use each auxiliary and main verb.

"Haber" and "tener" both translate as "have" in English, but they serve different functions: "haber" appears as an auxiliary (helping) verb or in impersonal expressions, while "tener" expresses possession, physical states, or obligations.

Haber

Use "haber" as an auxiliary to form compound tenses and in impersonal phrases where it means "there is," "there are," or "there has been." It does not change for ownership.

Utiliza "haber" como auxiliar para formar tiempos compuestos y en frases impersonales donde significa "hay". No cambia para indicar posesión.

Fill in the BlankYo ya(haber) terminado la tarea.

I have already finished the homework.

conjugated verb (haber)

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Tener

Use "tener" to show actual possession, to describe physical or emotional states, and to express necessities or obligations with expressions like tener que plus an infinitive.

Utiliza "tener" para mostrar posesión real, describir estados físicos o emocionales, y para expresar necesidades u obligaciones con expresiones como tener que seguido de un infinitivo.

Fill in the BlankNosotros(tener) frío después de salir del agua.

We are cold after getting out of the water.

conjugated verb (tener)

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Key Expressions

Learn common set phrases with "tener" for more natural speech, such as tener hambre, tener frío, and tener sueño, which describe feelings or needs rather than literal possession.

Fill in the BlankEllos(tener) hambre después del partido.

They are hungry after the game.

conjugated verb (tener)

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Summary

Remember: use "haber" for helping (compound tenses) and impersonal "there is/are" expressions, and use "tener" for owning, feeling, or needing something. This distinction keeps your meaning clear.