Manzanillo Spanish Tip #4- To Be Or Not To Be and Tener

In the beginning, when trying to communicate, it is a good idea to keep your Spanish very simple.   So, in terms of structure and word order, keep it as close to English as possible.  I often think of this as speaking English with Spanish words but it is a normal part of progressing in the language.   However, you need to be aware of some fundamental differences between Spanish and English.  If you make a mistake here it may not necessarily be incorrect Spanish but you could be conveying something entirely different than intended.

To Be Or Not To Be

English:  TO BE + ADJECTIVE

SPANISH:  TENER + NOUN
I’m hungry - Tengo hambre (I have hunger)
I’m thirsty - Tengo sed (I have thirst)
You’re right - Tienes razón (You have reason)
I’m scared - Tengo miedo (I have fear)
I’m hot - Tengo calor (I have heat)
She’s lucky - Ella tiene suerte (She has luck)
Be careful - Ten cuidado (Have care)

If you want to ask someone if he or she is hungry in Spanish you need to conjugate the verb and raise the inflection.  Remember there are no auxillary verbs in the present tense:
Are you hungry? - ¿Tienes hambre?

AGE

To refer to someone’s age in Spanish we use tener ______ años.

He is 25 years old - Tiene 25 años

In Spanish you don’t usually drop años.

My son is 5 - Mi hijo tiene 5 años

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