When do you use tiene vs tienen?

Question

when does one use tiene vs tienen vs tenemos? usted vs ustedes? esta vs esto?

please note that it is mandatory on this forum to use correct spelling, grammar, and capitalization in your posts. - - 00494d19, Sep 17, 2009

Answer 1

Tiene is used with he, she, or it and tienen is used with they or you-all. tenemos is used with we. The verb is tener which is to have. I hope this helps and I am sure the gurus will be along shortly.

Answer 2

I'm just going to say this about Rosetta Stone. I've tried both Spanish 1 and 2 and this program is head and shoulders better than Rosetta Stone and it's free. I worked with Rosetta Stone for 6 months and in 4 months this program has me reading, writing and understanding Spanish better than I ever hoped.

Answer 3

when does one use tiene vs tienen vs tenemos? usted vs ustedes? esta vs esto?

Usted and Ustedes are both used in the formal conjugation of verbs. Usted means you, and ustedes means "all of you" or "you all." You would use Usted with a teacher and Ustedes perhaps when you are in a meeting at work or giving a lecture.

Tiene can mean three things, when used with "usted" it means you (sir or madam, formal) have. When used with él/ella/ it can mean "he/she/it has." Usted distinguishes between the formal "Usted" and the informal "Tú."

In the case of tienen, it can also mean two things. Either all of you formal(Ustedes) have, or all of them have. Ustedes distinguishes between the forma you all (Ustedes) and the Informal you all (vosotros).

Tengo (I have) yo

Tienes (you informal have) Tú

Tiene (you formal have, or he/she/it has) Usted, él/ella/ello

Tenemos (we have) Nosotros

Tienéis (you all informal have) Vosotros

Tienen (you all formal have, or they all have) Ustedes, ellos/ellas

As for esta vs esto.

I think you might mean esta vs. este, and estas vs. estos. Although, as Qfreed pointed out, esto can be used as well for the purposes he mentioned.

Both of these words mean "this," however in spanish the gender of your noun is important, esta and este are adjectives so they must conform to the noun. Esta pisa, this floor, and Este coche, this car.

Estas flores, these flowers, and estos coches, these cars.

esto is not an adjective, they are just esta and este for this. - 0074b507, Sep 16, 2009

I appologize, I meant to say esta and este, as I noted I thought I "might" mean esta vs. este. That was a typo, hehe. - Fredbong, Sep 16, 2009

Answer 4

When the subject of the verb tener is he,she,you(formal) or it your would use tiene.

When the subject of the verb tener is them or you (all) you use tienen.

When the subject of the verb tener is we you use tenemos.

Use usted when you mean you and are speaking fromally (politely). Uses usteds when you mean you (all) and are speaking formally (politiely).

Use esta or esto can be demonstrative adjectives or demonstrative pronouns.

---

adjective

esta=this (used to modify a singular, feminine noun)

There is no esto demonstrative adjective.

---

pronoun

ésta= (tilde not mandatory)=this one (feminine)

esto=this one (is used when the antecedent is an abstract, unnamed, indefinite, neuter).

Qfreed, if you keep using all these big words my head is going to explode. Antecedent? Cheese and crackers man. - Fredbong, Sep 16, 2009

When you don't know what you're talking about, dazzle them with big words! - 0074b507, Sep 16, 2009

jejejejeje - 00494d19, Sep 17, 2009

Answer 5

Tiene is for el,ella, and usted(formal you form) Tienen is used for they. "Tienen un gato." "They have a cat." Tenemos is used for we. "Tenemos un perro". "We have a dog." I do believe ustedes is the form that is commonly used in spain for we. "Teneís un gato." "We have a cat." Thats about the extent of my knowledge...hope it helps.

Answer 6

As far as usted and ustedes they are you (usted) vs. you-all (ustedes). Tiene would be you have vs. tienen--you-all have.