Introduction
Learning how to answer questions using basic verbs is one of the fastest ways to start speaking Spanish. This article focuses on using Tengo and No tengo to respond to everyday questions about possession, age, feelings, and necessities. You will get clear explanations, practical vocabulary, sample dialogues, common mistakes, and beginner tips to use right away.
- What do Tengo and No tengo mean?
- Basic grammar you need to know
- Common question types where Tengo and No tengo are used
- Useful vocabulary to pair with Tengo and No tengo
- Practical dialogues for beginners
- Common beginner mistakes and how to avoid them
- Quick practical tips for learners
- Practice exercises
- More example sentences you will see often
- How to form negative responses and short answers
- Combining with other useful beginner structures
- Mini quiz
- Conclusion
What do Tengo and No tengo mean?
Tengo comes from the verb tener, which means to have. Use tengo to say you have something, you are a certain age, or you feel or need something in specific expressions. No tengo is the negative form and means you do not have something or you are not experiencing something.
Examples:
Tengo hambre.
Tengo means I have; here it is used to say I am hungry.
No tengo dinero.
No tengo means I do not have; here it says I do not have money.
Basic grammar you need to know
The verb form Tengo is the first-person singular present tense of tener. It is used with yo, but in Spanish the subject pronoun is often dropped because the verb form shows who is speaking. You do not need to say yo unless you want to emphasize the subject.
Use tengo when answering direct questions about possession, age, or states. Use no tengo to express absence or negation. When adding objects or complements, place them after the verb, and remember articles and adjectives must agree in gender and number with nouns.
Common question types where Tengo and No tengo are used
Here are the everyday question types beginners will meet and how to respond using tengo or no tengo.
Possession
Question: ¿Tienes un lápiz?
Answer options:
Tengo un lápiz.
Tengo un lápiz means I have a pencil.
No tengo un lápiz.
No tengo un lápiz means I do not have a pencil.
Age
In Spanish age is expressed with tener plus numbers, not with estar or ser. Question: ¿Cuántos años tienes?
Answer options:
Tengo veinte años.
Tengo veinte años means I am twenty years old.
No tengo hijos.
This uses no tengo because the question might be ¿Tienes hijos? and you answer I do not have children.
Feelings and physical states
Many common feelings in Spanish use tener expressions, for example hambre (hunger), sed (thirst), calor (hot), frío (cold), sueño (sleepy), miedo (fear), and prisa (in a hurry).
Question: ¿Tienes hambre?
Answer options:
Tengo hambre.
Tengo hambre means I am hungry.
No tengo hambre.
No tengo hambre means I am not hungry.
Obligations and needs
The phrase tener que + infinitive expresses obligation: tengo que estudiar means I have to study. To negate, use no before the verb: no tengo que trabajar today means I do not have to work today.
Question: ¿Tienes que estudiar hoy?
Answer options:
Tengo que estudiar hoy.
Tengo que estudiar hoy means I have to study today.
No tengo que estudiar hoy.
No tengo que estudiar hoy means I do not have to study today.
Useful vocabulary to pair with Tengo and No tengo
Here are common nouns and expressions beginners should memorize. Pair each with tengo or no tengo.
Un teléfono
Dinero
Tiempo
Una idea
Una pregunta
Hambre
Sed
Calor
Frío
Sueño
Miedo
Prisa
Un problema
Una reserva
Un boleto
Practical dialogues for beginners
Short conversations help you see how tengo and no tengo work in context. Read, listen, and repeat.
Conversation 1 – At a café
Cliente: ¿Tienen agua?
Mesero: Sí, tenemos agua. ¿Quieres una botella?
Cliente: No, gracias.
Cliente to friend: Tengo sed.
Friend: Yo también.
Cliente: No tengo efectivo. ¿Aceptan tarjeta?
Conversation 2 – At school
Profesor: ¿Tienes tarea?
Estudiante: Tengo la tarea de matemáticas.
Profesor: ¿Y la tarea de historia?
Estudiante: No tengo la tarea de historia. Perdón.
Conversation 3 – Asking about age
Persona A: ¿Cuántos años tienes?
Persona B: Tengo veintidós años.
Persona A: ¿Tienes hermanos?
Persona B: Sí, tengo una hermana mayor.
Common beginner mistakes and how to avoid them
Mistake: Saying estoy 20 instead of using tengo for age. Correct: tengo veinte años, not estoy veinte.
Mistake: Forgetting no before the verb for negative answers. Remember: place no before the verb: no tengo.
Mistake: Using tener with the wrong noun gender or number. Example: tengo un problema (correct) vs tengo una problema (incorrect). Match articles to nouns.
Mistake: Overusing subject pronouns. Spanish usually drops yo. Say tengo hambre rather than yo tengo hambre unless emphasizing.
Quick practical tips for learners
Tip 1: Memorize common tener expressions as fixed phrases: tengo hambre, tengo sed, tengo sueño, tengo prisa.
Tip 2: Practice with numbers for age. Rehearse asking and answering ¿Cuántos años tienes? with ages 1–99.
Tip 3: When answering yes/no questions about possession, use short answers: Sí, tengo. or No, no tengo.
Tip 4: Combine with other verbs for full sentences: Tengo que + infinitive for obligations; Tengo ganas de + noun/infinitive for desires: Tengo ganas de comer.
Tip 5: Listen for tener in real situations: menus sometimes say sin or con something, but customer service and signs often use tener for availability or conditions.
Practice exercises
Exercise 1: Translate to Spanish using tengo or no tengo.
I am thirsty.
I do not have a ticket.
I have two brothers.
I do not have time.
Exercise 2: Create short answers for these questions.
¿Tienes hambre?
¿Tienes clase mañana?
¿Tienes lápiz?
¿Tienes dinero?
Answer key (for self-check):
Tengo sed.
No tengo un boleto. or Tengo un boleto. depending on the situation.
Tengo dos hermanos.
No tengo tiempo.
More example sentences you will see often
Signs, forms, or short messages often use these phrases. Memorize them to understand announcements or texts.
Tengo una reserva a nombre de María.
No tengo señal aquí. (used when there is no signal)
Tengo que pagar ahora. (I have to pay now)
No tengo cambio. (I do not have change)
Tengo una pregunta. (I have a question)
How to form negative responses and short answers
Place no before the verb for simple negation: no tengo. For short yes/no replies, you can say Sí, tengo or No, no tengo. Remember the extra no before the verb is essential for clear negation.
Example: ¿Tienes mapa?
Sí, tengo. or No, no tengo.
Combining with other useful beginner structures
Practice with possession plus adjectives and numbers to build natural answers. Example: Tengo tres manzanas.
Use articles: Tengo la llave, Tengo las entradas.
Use tengo with colors and descriptions when appropriate: Tengo un carro rojo. Use no tengo when denying possession: No tengo ropa formal.
Mini quiz
Fill in the blanks with tengo or no tengo.
1. ¿_____ miedo de la oscuridad?
2. _______ dos primos.
3. ¿_______ dinero para el autobús?
4. _______ que salir temprano hoy.
Answers: 1. Tengo 2. Tengo 3. ¿Tienes? / No tengo (depends on context) 4. Tengo
Conclusion
Mastering Tengo and No tengo gives beginners a powerful way to answer questions about possession, age, feelings, and obligations. Focus on common fixed expressions, practice short dialogues, and pay attention to negation and article agreement. With these tools you will understand and respond to everyday Spanish quickly and confidently.
