Lo tengo entendido

Question

I say this, sounds fine to me. Is it OK or just simply incorrect?

Answer 1

Lo tengo entendido sounds very literal if it means "I've got it" or "I've understood it". I would say:

Lo entendí o lo he entendido.

Now, the phrase "Tengo entendido" is a totally different animal. It means "I have come to learn that"...

Oye! you did in a sentence what took me a paragraph! - pacofinkler, Feb 25, 2011

lol - gone, Feb 25, 2011

usarenzo, did you put this in the phrasebook yet? Tengo entendido. It's wonderful! - Jubilado, Feb 25, 2011

Good suggestion, Jubilidado. Doing it right now. - gone, Feb 25, 2011

Answer 2

I have not heard the phrase "lo tengo entendido". I have the sense that the verb "tener" in many cases can work in a semi auxiliar form.

Some examples:

"tengo prestado mi taladro"

" tengo previsto salir al extranjero".

" tengo resuelto el problema"

Here I go getting in over my head again:

"tengo entendido" que el supermercado cerrará mañana.

How is it that I know the market will be closed tomorrow?. Because my wife told me.

"Tengo entendido" is used when knowledge of (something) is obtained by a means other than having been taught.

Where "he entendido" is used when the knowledge of (something) is obtained by being taught.

To me this is more the domain of Lazarus or Gekkosan, but I had to try it. - pacofinkler, Feb 25, 2011

So, does '(lo) tengo entendido que existe una deuda entre ... y ...' make sense? - afowen, Feb 25, 2011

According to what I leared about this, you would not use "lo". - pacofinkler, Feb 25, 2011

Smoke rising from ears, wheels turning too fast. - pacofinkler, Feb 25, 2011

:-) - afowen, Feb 25, 2011

"I have the problem resolved." "I will have my homework finished by lunchtime." "You had me terrified!" "I have it understood that..." This construction is similar to the English one. In English, you're just using past participle here as an adjective - naplb, Jan 19, 2016

Answer 3

no wonder it seemed a little odd. - pacofinkler

Paco, to you does 'me tenias asustado' sound odd in the same vein?

I know this construction to be normal in some parts.

I am reasonably sure that 'me tenisa asustado" is quite correct. - pacofinkler, Feb 25, 2011

OK, thanks, to me it seems the same kind of construction. I see there are subtle differences. - afowen, Feb 25, 2011

Ufff my spelling yet again - pacofinkler, Feb 25, 2011

"What were you doing out so late? You had me terrified!" -- would be perfectly natural Australian English - naplb, Jan 19, 2016

Answer 4

Lo tengo entendido sounds very literal if it means "I've got it" or "I've understood it". I would say:

Lo entendí o lo he entendido.

Now, the phrase "Tengo entendido" is a totally different animal. It means "I have come to learn that"...

Thanks Usarezno.

I actually do say 'tengo entendido' but when asking this question I wondered if I needed to include an article.

What I actually have been wanting to mean in saying 'Tengo entendido que' is 'I understand that' but a bit more like 'I have it understood that'. Learning that it actually means 'I have come to learn that' is great - a new phrase for me and I would have fat perfectly with what I was saying at the time.

Cheers.

Usarenzo (as usual) got it clear and simple. - pacofinkler, Feb 25, 2011

Answer 5

You probably mean - 'I've understood it' - Lo he entendido.

have - as an auxillary verb can't be taken 'tener' in spanish, but 'haber'. In english we have 'to have' as a possessive verb (I have a daughter) and auxillary verb (ex. I've done that). In spanish you have 'tener' as a possessive (Tengo una hija), and 'haber' as auxillary verb (Lo he hecho).

Thanks, I'm not mistaking tener for haber :-) - afowen, Feb 25, 2011

Answer 6

I would have said "lo tengo el entendimiento" but I'm also just learning.

Una pista - it's a literal translation from English :-) - afowen, Feb 25, 2011

no wonder it seemed a little odd. - pacofinkler, Feb 25, 2011

I have it understood (that...) - afowen, Feb 25, 2011