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Conjugation Chart of “Tener” (to have) in the Imperative Mood (Affirmative Commands)

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Understanding the Imperative Mood (Affirmative Commands) of “Tener”

The Imperative Mood (Affirmative Commands) of Tener is used to give 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.

How to Use Tener in the Imperative Mood (Affirmative Commands)

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: For example, Ten paciencia (Have patience).

To hold or keep: For example, Ten esto (Hold this).

To experience or suffer: For example, Ten cuidado (Be careful, literally “Have care”).

To contain or comprise: For example, Ten en cuenta esto (Keep this in mind, literally “Have this in mind”).

To give birth (colloquial): For example, Ten un hijo (Have a child).

To be obligated (colloquial): For example, Ten que hacerlo (You have to do it).

To endure or put up with (colloquial): For example, Ten paciencia conmigo (Bear with me, literally “Have patience with me”).

To control or restrain (colloquial, rude): For example, Ten tus manos (Keep your hands to yourself).

Real Life Examples of Tener in the Imperative Mood (Affirmative Commands)

¡Ten paciencia! La fila avanza lentamente. (Have patience! The line is moving slowly.)

Para hacer una buena tortilla española, primero tengamos todos los ingredientes listos. (To make a good Spanish tortilla, first let’s have all the ingredients ready.)

Señor, tenga la amabilidad de esperar su turno. (Sir, please have the kindness to wait your turn.)

¡Tengamos fe en que todo saldrá bien! (Let’s have faith that everything will turn out well!)

Amigos, tengan cuidado al cruzar la calle. (Friends, be careful when crossing the street.)

Para una vida más saludable, ten una dieta balanceada y haz ejercicio regularmente. (For a healthier life, have a balanced diet and exercise regularly.)

Mamá, tenga listas las maletas para mañana. Salimos temprano. (Mom, have the suitcases ready for tomorrow. We’re leaving early.)

En la reunión, tengamos las propuestas preparadas para presentarlas. (At the meeting, let’s have the proposals ready to present them.)

Oye, viejo, ten más respeto por tus mayores. (Hey, man, have more respect for your elders.)

Para tener éxito, tengan determinación y perseverancia. (To be successful, have determination and perseverance.)

En esta situación difícil, tengamos la mente abierta y busquemos soluciones creativas. (In this difficult situation, let’s keep an open mind and look for creative solutions.)

Hija, ten confianza en ti misma y no temas perseguir tus sueños. (Daughter, have confidence in yourself and don’t be afraid to pursue your dreams.)

Compañeros, tengan en cuenta los plazos de entrega para el proyecto. (Colleagues, keep in mind the project’s deadlines.)

Para una reunión productiva, tengamos una agenda clara y respetemos los tiempos. (For a productive meeting, let’s have a clear agenda and respect the time limits.)

Amigo, ten la seguridad de que estoy aquí para apoyarte. (Friend, rest assured that I’m here to support you.)

Conjugation Chart with English Translations

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

This post covers Latin American Spanish. For Castilian 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.