What's the differene between "contar con" and "tener" and when does one uses either???

Question

What is the actual difference between "contar con" and "tener"? I realize they both mean "to have" but there must be a difference in their respective use, right?

Answer 1

The English verb 'To number' has several meanings including 'to comprise'. In this context the verb 'Contar' with the preposition 'con' is used to mean 'to have'.

E.G. The ship has ten decks (El buque cuenta con diez puentes), however it is also correct to use tener.

The book comprises (consists of) one hundred pages (El libro cuenta con cien páginas)

Tener can replace Contar con to mean 'to have' but the reverse does not necessarily apply.

So Contar con can be used to mean 'to comprise' or 'to consist of' and in similar context whereas Tener ,while it can be used in that context, is the correct verb at most other times.

Wow. Nice anwser. - webdunce, Nov 1, 2010

You're very kind! - aeroplod, Nov 1, 2010

There are lots of examples of contar con being used to mean to have that do not correspond to comprise. - lorenzo9, Nov 1, 2010

I agree - I did say 'in this context' and I said 'can be used' - I didn't intend it to mean exclusively used for that. - aeroplod, Nov 2, 2010

Answer 2

Using contar con to mean to have is a formal expression, while tener is what people actually say. As Hildita said, contar con is more frequently used to mean something else.

Answer 3

I think there is another meaning for (contar con), which is "boast". For example:

La ciudad cuenta con una gran seleccion de restaurantes y tiendas = The city boasts a great selection of restaurants and shops.

However, when I searched for this particular meaning in the dictionary, I found no reference to the meaning I gave above. Can anyone please verify if this was correct?

Gracias!

yes you're right but as you can see it's meaning is closely linked to 'having' :) - Kiwi-Girl, May 7, 2014

Answer 4

hay varios verbos para decir 'tener': contar con, tener y, comprender.

esta casa cuenta con 4 recamaras.

Answer 5

Contar con - can be used as an idiomatic expression "comes with"

Cuenta con dos pisos - comes with two floors.

Cuenta con una gran selección - comes with a great selection.

Remember...cuenta is a conjugation of contar. When you use cuenta...you are counting pieces or selections of something. Thus, the idiomatic usage.

Tener- tiene dos pisos...it has two floors...is a bit different than "it comes with two floors"

Answer 6

I just looked it up in the dictionary. ''Contar con'' has the meaning : rely on, expect. That's the first time im hearing ''contar con''. I always heard that they use tener in order to say ''have''.