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Conjugation Chart of “Tener” (to have) in the Preterite (Past) Tense

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Understanding the Preterite (Past) Tense of “Tener”

The preterite of tener is used to express when someone had something for a specific period in the past. For example, when you want to say “I had a terrible headache yesterday” – “Tuve un dolor de cabeza terrible ayer.”

This is an irregular verb in the preterite tense. The stem changes to ‘tuv-‘ throughout all conjugations, making it one of the essential irregular verbs to memorize.

How to Use Tener in the Preterite (Past) Tense

The Preterite of tener expresses having something for a completed period or experiencing something at a specific moment.

To have (specific period): Used for possession during a defined time, for example Tuve un carro deportivo por dos años (I had a sports car for two years), or Tuvieron mucho éxito con su negocio (They had a lot of success with their business).

To experience suddenly: Describes sudden feelings or realizations, for example Tuve miedo cuando oí el ruido (I got scared when I heard the noise).

Real Life Examples of Tener in the Preterite (Past) Tense

Ayer tuve una reunión importante. (Yesterday I had an important meeting.)

Tuvimos un día muy ocupado. (We had a very busy day.)

¿Tuviste tiempo de terminar el informe? (Did you have time to finish the report?)

Mi hermana tuvo un bebé la semana pasada. (My sister had a baby last week.)

Los estudiantes tuvieron un examen difícil. (The students had a difficult exam.)

Tuve que ir al médico esta mañana. (I had to go to the doctor this morning.)

¿Por qué tuviste que salir temprano? (Why did you have to leave early?)

Tuvo mucha suerte en el concurso. (He/she had a lot of luck in the contest.)

Tuvimos problemas con el coche. (We had problems with the car.)

Ellos tuvieron una gran idea. (They had a great idea.)

Nunca tuve dudas sobre tu capacidad. (I never had doubts about your ability.)

Tuviste razón todo el tiempo. (You were right all along.)

La fiesta tuvo mucho éxito. (The party was very successful.)

Tuvimos que cambiar nuestros planes. (We had to change our plans.)

Tuvieron una conversación muy seria. (They had a very serious conversation.)

Conjugation Chart with English Translations

Conjugations of Tener (to have) in the Preterite (Past) Tense (Castilian Spanish) with English Translations:

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

Synonyms

The Preterite tense is also known as the Simple Past, Past Simple, Definite Past, Absolute Past, or Past Tense Indicative in English, and as Pretérito Perfecto Simple, Pretérito Indefinido, Pretérito Simple, Pasado Simple, or Pretérito de Indicativo in Spanish.