Tener de excitante

Question

Dear all, i encountered this sentence in Harry Potter:

'Ron no podía ver que tenía de excitante un juego con una sola pelota.'

I could guess the meaning of 'tener de', but does anyone know how it is used? What is the proper meaning of 'tener de algo'?

Thanks in advance.

Answer 1

• "Ron no podía ver qué tenía de excitante un juego con una sola pelota".

• "Ron was not able to see what was so exciting about a one-ball game".

It's a very common construction.

Other collocations:

• Ella no entendía qué tenía de bueno una caminata de 6 millas - She could not understand what was so good about a 6-mile walk.

• Ellos no podían percibir qué tenía de ventajoso el nuevo proyecto - They were not able to perceive any advantage on the new project.

• ¿Qué tiene de emocionante un café sin azucar? - What's so exciting about coffee with no sugar?

• ¿Qué tiene de agradable estar con Susana? - What's so nice about being with Susana?

• ¿Qué tienen de perfecto los líderes sin una verdadera empatía? - What's so perfect about leaders who cannot feel true empathy?

• ¿Qué tiene Roberto de admirable? - What's so admirable about Roberto?

I hope it helps!

Raff, I would suggest a more natural English translation for this sentence: ¿Qué tienen de perfecto los líderes sin una verdadera empatía? = What's so perfect about leaders who csnnot feel true empathy? - FELIZ77, May 30, 2017

I love your post ...very helpful examples :) This is a new phrsse for me in Spanish :) - FELIZ77, May 30, 2017

Wow, good! Thanks, Feliz. - Raff75, May 30, 2017

Feliz: It's corrected. Thanks. It was a very good question. - Raff75, May 30, 2017

Wow Raff. Thankyou so much for the examples! - Mercent, May 31, 2017

Mercent: So good you like them! - Raff75, Jun 7, 2017

Answer 2

'Ron no podía ver que tenía de excitante un juego con una sola pelota.'

Ron couldn't see/understand what was so exciting about a game with only one ball.

This is highly idiomatic and the word order is very different from the English.

I believe that had the word "que" had been spelled "qué" it would have made more sense. A stressed "qué" has a totally different meaning than the unstressed.

I love your post, Dani :) This is new vocabulary for me :) - FELIZ77, May 30, 2017

Thanks, you are right, i forgot to add the tilde for 'que'. - Mercent, May 31, 2017

Answer 3

I hadn't heard it in the phrase you have read. Here is a discussion about tener de on word reference.

word reference

However, I would be pleased to read answers here from others too.