How to Use “Tener por” in Spanish for Considering Someone Something

Introduction

One of the most versatile and useful expressions in Spanish is tener por, a grammatical construction that allows speakers to express their opinions, judgments, or considerations about someone or something. This expression is particularly valuable for Spanish learners because it appears frequently in both written and spoken Spanish, yet many intermediate learners struggle to understand its nuances and applications. In this comprehensive guide, we will explore how to use tener por effectively, examine its various forms and contexts, and provide numerous examples to help you master this important construction.

What Does Tener Por Mean?

Tener por is a Spanish phrase that translates roughly to considering someone or something to be a particular way, or having an opinion that someone possesses certain qualities. The literal translation of tener por is to have for, but this direct translation does not capture its actual meaning in usage. When you use tener por, you are expressing a judgment, belief, or consideration about someone or something.

The basic structure involves the verb tener, which means to have, combined with the preposition por, which in this context means as or to be. Together, they create an idiomatic expression that is much more meaningful than the sum of its parts. Understanding tener por is essential for communicating nuanced opinions in Spanish.

The Basic Structure and Conjugation

The formula for tener por is relatively straightforward: subject + conjugated form of tener + por + adjective or noun + (optional object).

Let’s look at how tener conjugates in the present tense:

Yo tengo por
Tu tienes por
El/Ella/Usted tiene por
Nosotros tenemos por
Vosotros teneis por
Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes tienen por

The key element that follows tener por is typically an adjective that describes a quality or characteristic. For example, you might say someone is honest, intelligent, friendly, or capable. The expression becomes: I consider him to be intelligent, or I have him for intelligent, which is closer to the actual structure.

Using Tener Por with Adjectives

The most common way to use tener por is with an adjective that describes a quality or attribute. When you construct a sentence this way, you are making a statement about how you perceive or judge someone.

Here are some practical examples:

Tengo por honesto a mi hermano. This means I consider my brother to be honest. The adjective honesto describes the quality you are attributing to your brother.

Ellos tienen por inteligente a Maria. This means They consider Maria to be intelligent. Notice that the adjective inteligente comes directly after por, and then the person being described follows, often introduced by the preposition a.

Nosotros tenemos por competentes a nuestros empleados. This means We consider our employees to be competent. Here, competentes is a plural adjective describing multiple people.

An important grammatical note: when using tener por with an adjective followed by a specific person or object, the personal or direct object a is typically used. This is the same a that appears before direct objects in Spanish that refer to people.

Using Tener Por with Nouns

Tener por can also be used with nouns when you want to express that you consider someone to be in a particular role or position, or to have a particular identity. In these cases, the construction is still subject + verb + por + noun.

For example:

Tengo por amigo a Juan. This means I consider Juan to be a friend, or I have Juan as a friend. The noun amigo indicates the relationship or role you are assigning to Juan.

Ellos nos tienen por enemigos. This means They consider us to be enemies. Here, enemigos is the noun describing how they perceive us.

Ella tiene por colega a su jefe anterior. This means She considers her former boss to be a colleague. The noun colega expresses the professional relationship she acknowledges.

When using tener por with nouns, the expression often carries a sense of formal recognition or acknowledgment of a particular relationship or status. This makes it particularly useful in professional or formal contexts where you want to clearly state how you view someone’s role or relationship to you.

The Preposition A and Direct Objects

One grammatical feature that often confuses learners is the use of the preposition a in sentences with tener por. This a is the personal object marker in Spanish, used before direct objects that refer to specific people or personified entities.

When you write Tengo por inteligente a Maria, the a is required because Maria is a specific person who is the object of the verb. Without this a, the sentence would be grammatically incorrect or would change meaning.

However, if you are using a more general statement without a specific object, the a might not appear:

Eso lo tengo por verdadero. This means I consider that to be true. In this case, there is no specific person as the object, so no a is needed.

Tengo por importante que estudies. This means I consider it important that you study. Again, a is not used because the object is not a person.

Tener Por in Different Tenses

While tener por is most commonly used in the present tense, it can be conjugated into other tenses to express past, future, or conditional judgments and opinions.

In the preterite (simple past):

Tuve por honesto a mi amigo en ese momento. This means I considered my friend to be honest at that moment. This form is useful when expressing a judgment you held at a specific point in the past.

In the imperfect (habitual past):

Tenian por un experto a Carlos en la empresa. This means They considered Carlos to be an expert in the company. This tense suggests an ongoing judgment held over time in the past.

In the future tense:

Tendré por afortunado al que logre este objetivo. This means I will consider fortunate the person who achieves this objective. Future tense tener por is less common in everyday speech but appears in more formal contexts.

In the conditional:

Tendria por valiente a cualquiera que intentara esto. This means I would consider brave anyone who would try this. The conditional form expresses a hypothetical judgment.

Common Expressions and Phrases with Tener Por

Several fixed expressions using tener por are commonly used in Spanish:

Tengo por seguro que means I am certain that or I consider it certain that. This is a common way to express confidence in something.

Tengo por sabido que means I understand that or It is known to me that. This phrase is often used in formal writing to acknowledge common knowledge.

Tener por mal means to consider something bad or to take offense at something. For example: No lo tengo por mal means I do not hold it against you.

Tener por bien means to consider something good or to deem something appropriate. For example: Si lo tienes por bien means If you deem it appropriate or If you think it is good.

These expressions demonstrate how tener por integrates into the fabric of Spanish communication and how it can be adapted for various communicative purposes.

Practical Examples in Context

To further solidify your understanding, here are some practical examples of tener por used in realistic contexts:

Los profesores me tienen por un estudiante dedicado. This means The teachers consider me to be a dedicated student. This could be something you might hear or say in an academic setting.

Tenemos por cierto los datos que recibimos del informe. This means We consider certain the data that we received from the report. This is the type of sentence you might encounter in a professional or academic document.

Mi familia me tiene por la persona mas responsable de la casa. This means My family considers me the most responsible person in the house. This reflects a common family dynamic where different members are recognized for particular qualities.

Aunque algunos lo tienen por exagerado, yo considero que es perfeccionista. This means Although some consider him exaggerated, I think he is a perfectionist. This sentence shows how tener por can be contrasted with other opinion verbs like considerar.

Tener Por Versus Similar Expressions

Spanish has several ways to express judgments and opinions, and it is helpful to understand how tener por compares to similar expressions.

Considerar is perhaps the most direct synonym for tener por. You can often swap one for the other without significantly changing meaning. However, tener por sounds somewhat more formal or literary in many contexts, while considerar is more universally used in everyday speech.

Creer means to believe or to think, but it is less specific than tener por. When you crees something, you hold a belief about it, but when you tienes por something, you are making a more definitive judgment or evaluation.

Juzgar means to judge, but it carries stronger connotations of making a legal or formal judgment, whereas tener por is more about personal evaluation or opinion.

Estimar can mean to esteem or to consider, and it is sometimes used similarly to tener por, but it more directly implies respect or value placed on something or someone.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

As you practice using tener por, be aware of these common errors:

Forgetting the preposition a before a specific person. Remember that Tengo por inteligente a Maria is correct, while Tengo por inteligente Maria is not.

Confusing the position of the adjective and the object. The correct order is tener por + adjective + a + person, not tener por + person + adjective.

Using tener por when a simpler expression might be more appropriate in informal conversation. While tener por is correct, many native speakers might simply say Creo que Maria es inteligente in casual speech.

Forgetting to conjugate tener properly for the subject of the sentence. Remember that conjugation depends on who is doing the considering.

Conclusion

Mastering tener por is an excellent step forward in your Spanish language journey, allowing you to express opinions and judgments with greater precision and formality. Whether you use it with adjectives to describe qualities, with nouns to assign roles or relationships, or in fixed expressions to convey certainty and obligation, tener por is a valuable tool for more sophisticated Spanish communication. With consistent practice and attention to the grammatical patterns outlined in this article, you will soon find yourself using tener por naturally and confidently in your Spanish conversations and writing.