The presente de subjuntivo of tener is used to express wishes, desires, doubts, or uncertainty about possession or obligation, for example: Espero que tengas un buen día. (I hope you have a good day.)

Tener is an irregular verb in the presente de subjuntivo, meaning its conjugations do not follow a set pattern and must be memorized individually.

Conjugations

Conjugations of Tener (to have) in the Subjunctive Mood tense (Castilian Spanish):

Tener generally means “to have”, but has several different meanings in the Subjunctive Mood, some of which might surprise you.

To have (possession): for example, Aunque no tenga dinero, soy feliz. (Even if I don’t have money, I’m happy.)

To need to (obligation): for example, Tengas o no tengas ganas, tienes que estudiar. (Whether you feel like it or not, you have to study.)

To get (acquire): for example, Espero que tengamos un buen resultado. (I hope we get a good result.)

To hold (contain): for example, Aunque la botella no tenga mucha agua, la beberé. (Even if the bottle doesn’t hold much water, I’ll drink it.)

To bear (withstand): for example, Aunque tenga mucha paciencia, no soportaré más retrasos. (Even if I have a lot of patience, I won’t bear any more delays.)

To experience (undergo): for example, Aunque tengamos dificultades, seguiremos adelante. (Even if we experience difficulties, we’ll keep going.)

To be (age): for example, Aunque tenga 80 años, sigo siendo joven de espíritu. (Even if I’m 80 years old, I’m still young at heart.)

To have sex with (vulgar): for example, Aunque tenga a esa tía buena, no se lo contaré a nadie. (Even if I have sex with that hot chick, I won’t tell anyone.)

Examples

Examples of Tener in the Subjunctive Mood

Es importante que tengamos paciencia con los niños. (It’s important that we have patience with children.)

Ojalá que tengas un buen día. (I hope you have a good day.)

Aunque no tenga mucho dinero, soy feliz. (Even though I don’t have much money, I’m happy.)

Para ir de vacaciones, necesitamos que tengáis los pasaportes listos. (To go on vacation, we need you all to have your passports ready.)

Es una lástima que no tengan más experiencia. (It’s a shame they don’t have more experience.)

Prefiero que tenga un sabor más suave. (I prefer that it has a milder flavor.)

Siempre y cuando tengamos buena actitud, todo saldrá bien. (As long as we have a good attitude, everything will turn out well.)

¿Sería posible que tengas el informe listo para mañana? (Would it be possible for you to have the report ready by tomorrow?)

Es fundamental que tengamos respeto por todas las culturas. (It’s essential that we have respect for all cultures.)

Tal vez tengan razón y debamos reconsiderar el plan. (Maybe they’re right and we should reconsider the plan.)

Me alegro de que tengas esa oportunidad laboral. (I’m glad you have that job opportunity.)

Dudo que tenga el valor para hacer algo tan arriesgado. (I doubt he has the courage to do something so risky.)

Cuando tengamos más información, les avisaremos. (When we have more information, we’ll let you know.)

Es raro que no tengáis ganas de salir esta noche. (It’s strange that you all don’t feel like going out tonight.)

Espero que tengan un viaje muy agradable. (I hope you have a very pleasant trip.)

Conjugations with English Translations

Conjugations of Tener (to have) in the Subjunctive Mood tense (Castilian Spanish) with English Translations:

This post covers Castilian Spanish. For Latin American Spanish, click here

Synonyms

The Subjunctive mood is also known as the Simple Subjunctive, Subjunctive Present, or Present Subjunctive Mood in English, and as Presente de Subjuntivo, Subjuntivo Presente, Presente del Modo Subjuntivo, or Tiempo Presente del Subjuntivo in Spanish.