The Imperative Mood (Affirmative Commands) of Tener is used to give direct orders or instructions involving possession or obligation, for example Ten paciencia. (Have patience.)

Tener is an irregular verb, meaning its conjugations do not follow the typical patterns of regular verbs in the Imperative Mood.

Conjugations

Conjugations of Tener (to have) in the Imperative Mood (Affirmative Commands) tense (Castilian Spanish):

Tener generally means “to have” or “to possess”, but has several different meanings in the Imperative Mood (Affirmative Commands), some of which might surprise you.

To have or possess: This is the most common meaning. For example, Ten paciencia (Have patience).

To keep or maintain: For example, Tened cuidado (Be careful, literally “Keep care”).

To suffer or experience: For example, Ten frío (Feel cold, literally “Have cold”).

To be obliged: For example, Tenemos que hacerlo (We have to do it).

To give birth (colloquial): For example, Tened al bebé (Have the baby).

To seduce or sleep with (vulgar): For example, Tené a esa chica (Sleep with that girl).

Examples

Examples of Tener in the Imperative Mood (Affirmative Commands)

¡Ten paciencia! El autobús llegará pronto. (Have patience! The bus will arrive soon.)

Para hacer una buena tortilla española, tengamos huevos frescos, cebolla y patatas. (To make a good Spanish omelet, let’s have fresh eggs, onion and potatoes.)

Señora, tenga cuidado al cruzar la calle. (Ma’am, be careful when crossing the street.)

¡Oye amigo! Ten más respeto por los demás. (Hey friend! Show more respect for others.)

En la oficina, tengamos una actitud positiva para trabajar mejor en equipo. (At the office, let’s have a positive attitude to work better as a team.)

Mamá, tened cuidado con los niños en la playa. (Mom, be careful with the kids at the beach.)

Para una vida sana, tengan una dieta balanceada y hagan ejercicio regularmente. (For a healthy life, have a balanced diet and exercise regularly.)

Amigos, tengamos la fiesta en mi casa el próximo sábado. (Friends, let’s have the party at my house next Saturday.)

Jóvenes, tened confianza en vosotros mismos y perseguid vuestros sueños. (Young people, have confidence in yourselves and pursue your dreams.)

En el restaurante, tengan la amabilidad de esperar a que les atiendan. (At the restaurant, please have the kindness to wait to be served.)

Compañeros, tengamos una reunión mañana para discutir el nuevo proyecto. (Colleagues, let’s have a meeting tomorrow to discuss the new project.)

Señor, tenga la bondad de firmar aquí. (Sir, please have the kindness to sign here.)

Hijos, tened fe y nunca perdáis la esperanza. (Children, have faith and never lose hope.)

Para viajar con tranquilidad, tengan todos sus documentos en orden. (To travel with peace of mind, have all your documents in order.)

En esta situación difícil, tengamos fuerza y valor para superarla. (In this difficult situation, let’s have strength and courage to overcome it.)

Conjugations with English Translations

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

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

Synonyms

The Imperative mood is also known as the Command Form, Affirmative Command Mood, or Direct Command Form in English, and as Modo Imperativo, Imperativo Afirmativo, Mandatos Afirmativos, or Forma de Mandato in Spanish.