What is the present subjunctive of tener in Spanish?

The present subjunctive of tener is: tenga, tengas, tenga, tengamos, tengáis, tengan. Derived from the irregular yo form tengo by dropping -o and adding -a endings. The g stays in every form, even nosotros (tengamos) and vosotros (tengáis).

Why does subjunctive tener use -a endings if it's an -er verb?

All subjunctive conjugations use the opposite vowel of the infinitive. -ar verbs take -e endings in the subjunctive (hable, hables); -er and -ir verbs take -a endings (tenga, viva). The vowel switch is a hallmark of the Spanish subjunctive.

How is subjunctive tener different from indicative tener?

The biggest difference is the g: it appears in every subjunctive form (tenga, tengamos, tengáis, tengan), but only in the yo form of the indicative (tengo, but tenemos, tenéis). Both moods have stem changes (tienes, tiene) in some indicative forms, but the subjunctive stem is consistently teng-.

What are the most common triggers for subjunctive tener?

Wishes (quiero que tengas), doubts (dudo que tenga), recommendations (te recomiendo que tengas), and impersonal expressions (es importante que tengas) are the most common triggers. Tener also appears in many idiomatic advice phrases (tener cuidado, tener paciencia, tener en cuenta).

How can I learn to use subjunctive tener naturally?

Tener is one of the most common Spanish verbs, so its subjunctive forms appear constantly in advice, wishes, and emotional reactions. Parrot's short-form videos expose you to tenga / tengas / tengan in real conversations about what people have, need, or feel, so the forms become automatic without explicit drilling.

Spanish grammar · Intermediate

Subjunctive of Tener: All Forms with Examples

Written by Sofia Ramirez, Lead Spanish Curriculum Editor · Reviewed May 2026

Tener's present subjunctive derives from the yo form tengo: tenga, tengas, tenga, tengamos, tengáis, tengan. The g stays in every form. Used after wish, doubt, emotion, and impersonal triggers.

Espero que tengas un buen día.

I hope you have a good day.

What it is

Tener's present subjunctive is derived from the irregular yo form tengo by dropping the -o and adding subjunctive endings: tenga, tengas, tenga, tengamos, tengáis, tengan. The g (inserted in the yo form) carries through every subjunctive form. Used after triggers expressing wish, doubt, emotion, or impersonal opinion.

In Espero que tengas un buen día (I hope you have a good day), tengas is the tú subjunctive of tener. The trigger esperar que forces the subjunctive in the dependent clause.

How to spot it

Look for teng- followed by standard -ar verb subjunctive endings: tenga, tengas, tenga, tengamos, tengáis, tengan. (Tener is an -er verb but uses -a / -as / -an endings in the subjunctive.) The g is always there.

Quiero que tengas paciencia. — I want you to be patient.
Dudo que tengan tiempo. — I doubt they have time.
Es bueno que tengamos opciones. — It's good we have options.

Tener is one of the most common Spanish verbs, so its subjunctive forms appear constantly in wishes about what someone has, owns, feels, or needs.

Subjunctive of Tener Quick Reference

Present subjunctive of tener, all six forms

Person	Form	Translation
yo	tenga	(that) I have
tú	tengas	(that) you have
él/ella/Ud.	tenga	(that) he, she, you (formal) have
nosotros	tengamos	(that) we have
vosotros	tengáis	(that) you all have (Spain)
ellos/Uds.	tengan	(that) they, you all have

Common Subjunctive of Tener Examples in Spanish

The subjunctive of tener appears in wishes about possession, time, emotions (tener miedo, tener hambre), age, and many fixed expressions. It pairs with the same W.E.I.R.D.O. triggers as all subjunctives.

Wishes (querer que, esperar que)

Quiero que tengas un buen viaje.: I want you to have a good trip.
Espero que tengamos suerte.: I hope we have luck.
Deseo que tengan éxito.: I wish them success.
Quiere que tengas confianza.: She wants you to have confidence.
Esperan que tenga la respuesta.: They hope he has the answer.

Wishes about what someone should have, possessions, time, success, luck, all take the subjunctive of tener.

Doubt (dudar que, no creer que)

Dudo que tenga razón.: I doubt he's right.
No creo que tengamos tiempo.: I don't think we have time.
Es posible que tengan dudas.: It's possible they have doubts.
No estoy seguro de que tengas suficiente dinero.: I'm not sure you have enough money.
Puede ser que tenga miedo.: She might be afraid.

Doubt about what someone has or doesn't have triggers the subjunctive of tener.

Impersonal Triggers (es importante que)

Es importante que tengas paciencia.: It's important to have patience.
Es necesario que tengamos un plan.: It's necessary that we have a plan.
Es bueno que tenga amigos.: It's good he has friends.
Es mejor que tengas dos copias.: It's better to have two copies.
Es raro que no tengan teléfonos.: It's odd they don't have phones.

Impersonal expressions are one of the most common triggers for subjunctive of tener, especially in advice-giving contexts.

Recommendations (recomendar que, sugerir que)

Te recomiendo que tengas cuidado.: I recommend you be careful.
Sugiero que tengamos una reunión.: I suggest we have a meeting.
El médico aconseja que tenga reposo.: The doctor advises that he rest.
Te pido que tengas en cuenta esto.: I ask you to take this into account.
Le sugiere que tenga paciencia.: She suggests he be patient.

Recommendations, requests, and advice trigger the subjunctive when directed at someone else. Tener appears frequently in idiomatic advice expressions (tener cuidado, tener en cuenta, tener paciencia).

How to Form the Subjunctive of Tener

Derive from the Yo Form Tengo

Tener's subjunctive uses the rule yo form minus -o plus opposite-vowel endings. Tengo → teng- → tenga, tengas, tenga, tengamos, tengáis, tengan. Tener is an -er verb but the subjunctive uses -a endings (opposite vowel of the infinitive).

tener (er verb) → tengo (yo) → teng- → tenga, tengas...

Yo form minus -o, plus -a endings.

Any verb with an irregular yo form follows this pattern in the subjunctive (tener, hacer, decir, poner, salir, venir, traer, etc.).

The G Stays in Every Form

The g inserted in the yo form tengo carries through every subjunctive form, including nosotros (tengamos) and vosotros (tengáis). Don't drop it. This is different from the present indicative, where nosotros and vosotros (tenemos, tenéis) drop the g.

Pres. ind.: tenemos. Pres. subj.: tengamos.

G stays in the subjunctive across all six forms.

Subjunctive: G everywhere. Present indicative: G only in yo (tengo).

Same Yo and Él/Ella Forms

Like all subjunctive conjugations, the yo and él/ella forms are identical: tenga. Use subject pronouns when context doesn't make the subject clear.

Espero que (yo) tenga éxito. Espero que (él) tenga éxito.

Add pronouns for clarity.

yo and él/ella always identical in the subjunctive.

Same Triggers as All Subjunctives

Tener's subjunctive responds to the same W.E.I.R.D.O. triggers as any verb: Wishes, Emotions, Impersonal expressions, Recommendations, Doubt, Ojalá. If the main clause has a trigger from these categories + que, the dependent verb (including tener) shifts to subjunctive.

Quiero que. Espero que. Es bueno que. Te recomiendo que.

Same triggers across all verbs.

Trigger + que = subjunctive in the dependent clause.

Common Mistakes with Subjunctive of Tener

Incorrect: Espero que tienes tiempo. — I hope you have time. (wrong, indicative after esperar que)

Correct: Espero que tengas tiempo. — I hope you have time.

After esperar que, the dependent verb must be in the subjunctive. Tienes is the indicative; tengas is the tú subjunctive. The hope trigger forces the mood shift.

Incorrect: Quiero que tenemos paciencia. — I want us to have patience. (wrong, indicative nosotros after querer que)

Correct: Quiero que tengamos paciencia. — I want us to have patience.

After querer que, the nosotros form must be the subjunctive tengamos, not the indicative tenemos. The G is inserted in all subjunctive forms, including nosotros and vosotros.

Incorrect: Sé que tenga razón. — I know he's right. (wrong, fact statement takes indicative)

Correct: Sé que tiene razón. — I know he's right.

Saber que is an assertion of fact and takes the indicative (tiene), not the subjunctive (tenga). Only subjunctive triggers (wishes, doubts, emotions) force the mood shift. Knowing is a statement of certainty.

Subjunctive of Tener FAQs

What is the present subjunctive of tener in Spanish?: The present subjunctive of tener is: tenga, tengas, tenga, tengamos, tengáis, tengan. Derived from the irregular yo form tengo by dropping -o and adding -a endings. The g stays in every form, even nosotros (tengamos) and vosotros (tengáis).
Why does subjunctive tener use -a endings if it's an -er verb?: All subjunctive conjugations use the opposite vowel of the infinitive. -ar verbs take -e endings in the subjunctive (hable, hables); -er and -ir verbs take -a endings (tenga, viva). The vowel switch is a hallmark of the Spanish subjunctive.
How is subjunctive tener different from indicative tener?: The biggest difference is the g: it appears in every subjunctive form (tenga, tengamos, tengáis, tengan), but only in the yo form of the indicative (tengo, but tenemos, tenéis). Both moods have stem changes (tienes, tiene) in some indicative forms, but the subjunctive stem is consistently teng-.
What are the most common triggers for subjunctive tener?: Wishes (quiero que tengas), doubts (dudo que tenga), recommendations (te recomiendo que tengas), and impersonal expressions (es importante que tengas) are the most common triggers. Tener also appears in many idiomatic advice phrases (tener cuidado, tener paciencia, tener en cuenta).
How can I learn to use subjunctive tener naturally?: Tener is one of the most common Spanish verbs, so its subjunctive forms appear constantly in advice, wishes, and emotional reactions. Parrot's short-form videos expose you to tenga / tengas / tengan in real conversations about what people have, need, or feel, so the forms become automatic without explicit drilling.