Tener vs hab

Question

When do I use " tener" and when do I use" haber"? What is the difference? Thanx

Hello, welcome to the forum! - rac1, Aug 18, 2012

Answer 1

Tener's main use is to indicate possession, just like the English verb 'to have'.

I have an apple.

Tengo una manzana.

It is also used to describe 'having' things such as hunger and thirst whereas we would use the verb 'to be' in English.

I am hungry.

Tengo hambre.

For the verb haber this lesson might help.

Answer 2

Haber is an auxiliary verb - you use it for the perfect tense (I have eaten - Yo he comido). As well as for expressing existence (There was a time in which... - Había/Hubo un tiempo en el que).

And it has other functions: http://spanish.about.com/od/usingparticularverbs/a/haber_idioms.htm

(See also here for more on auxiliary verb more formally defined: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Auxiliary_verb)

Note that, the Latin verb habe?, hab?re, habu?, habitum from which the Spanish haber derives is not an auxiliary and simply means to have, hold... which meaning, now in Spanish, tener takes. (The latin ten?re also exists).

very interesting, gracias - Kiwi-Girl, Aug 19, 2012