introductory question

Question

What is the difference between "yo tango" and "estoy"? I have been told they both can be used for "I am", but I do not understand how you know when to use which phrase.

Hello! Welcome to the forum... =) - NikkiLR, May 25, 2012

Hola, Bienvenido al foro! - rac1, May 25, 2012

Hola ! Welcome here:) - ZAYESHA, May 26, 2012

Answer 1

"Yo tengo" is the first person singular conjugation of "tener" in the present indicative. Basically it means "I have". In Spanish we say "I have" followed by the nouns "thirst", "fear", and "hunger". In English, we say "I am ...." followed by adjectives which describe us as "thirtsy, fearful (afraid), and thirsty". These are just different ways of converying the same meaning in the two languages.

Regarding "estar", it is one of the two Spanish verbs that function like the English infinitive "to be". "Estoy" is often followed by some descriptive adjectives like "enfermo", which means "I am sick", and "cansado" which means "I am tired". However, there are some cases (like hunger, thirst, fear), when used to describe ones physical state or mental state in Spanish, that "estar" is not used. "Tener" is used instead.

Good explanation! - NikkiLR, May 25, 2012

... fearful (afraid), and "hungry". - Esteban3304, May 25, 2012

Answer 2

So you know how to do the "Tango" You mean "Tengo" and it doesn't require the personal pronoun "Yo" as it means "I have" and not "I am" Estoy does of course mean I am.

In English is always compulsory use the personal pronoun... but not in Spanish... In English you must say "I have". In Spanish we say "tengo", because the pronoun "yo" is redundant for us in a 90% of cases - josemaloru, May 25, 2012

Absolutely, I know that. - kenwilliams, May 25, 2012

Answer 3

yo tengo = I have yo estoy = I am

In Spanish:

• to have means "haber" o "tener"

• to be means "ser" or "estar"