Both the words tiene and ha mean “has” in Spanish, but how do you…
Both the words tiene and ha mean “has” in Spanish, but how do you know which one to use? These two words come from the common Spanish verbs tener (to have) and haber (to have), and while they both mean “to have,” they are not interchangeable and serve very different purposes.
This guide will help you understand the differences between tiene and ha, plus when to use each one. You’ll also find the full conjugations of these -ER verbs included, so you’ll know how to say “I/you/we have” in Spanish, as well.
Table of Contents
How do you say ‘has’ in Spanish?
Depending on what you want to say, you may need either the verb tener or haber. Sometimes you intend to say someone “possesses” something, in which case you would use tiene (has).
Other times, you may be trying to say that someone “has done” something, which would require you to use ha (has) with a past participle to form the present perfect tense.
Tiene (from the verb tener)
The verb tener means “to have” in Spanish and is often used to communicate possession, family relationships, and obligations. It has lots of uses, however, some of which differ from English and can’t be translated word-for-word. If you’re meeting a lot of new people, knowing how to say “has” in Spanish will enable you to share basic information about the people around you, whether in a class or travel group.
Possessions:
- Él tiene libros. = He has books.
- ¿Quién tiene el sombrero? = Who has the hat?
- Ella tiene una bicicleta. = She has a bicycle.
Family relationships:
- Él tiene dos hermanas. = He has two sisters.
Obligations (to have to):
- Tiene que pagar en efectivo. = He has to pay in cash.
- Ella tiene que estudiar. = She has to study.
Some translations of tiene do not translate to “has” in English, as Spanish expresses these ideas differently. For example:
Certain conditions:
- La niña tiene frío. = The girl is cold. (literally, “has cold”)
- El hombre tiene hambre. = The man is hungry. (literally “has hunger”)
Age:
- Ella tiene cuatro años. = She is four years old. (literally, “has four years”)
- La profesora tiene 28 años. = The teacher is 28. (literally, “has 28 years”)
Ha (from the verb haber)
The verb haber is an auxiliary verb, or “helping verb” in the present perfect and other compound tenses in Spanish. It would be translated as “has” followed by a past participle, explaining what someone “has done.”
- Ella ha enseñado arte por veinticinco años. = She has taught art for 25 years.
- ¿Tu novia ha leído este libro? = Has your girlfriend read this book?
- Él no ha comprado ninguna ropa este año. = He hasn’t bought any clothes this year.
- Ella ha viajado a 20 países. = She has traveled to 20 countries.
- El gato ya ha comido hoy. = The cat has already eaten today.
This tense is very common in Spain when it’s employed for recent happenings instead of the preterite tense. If you’re meeting up with a friend for a nice relaxing comida (lunch in Spain), you might mention what people have already done that morning.
- Él ha hecho la tarea esta mañana. = He has done the homework this morning.
- Ella ha llamado a la puerta. = She has knocked at the door.
Conjugation of tener
To say “has” use a form of the verb tener. It’s one of the most common irregular verbs in Spanish. Tiene can translate to “he has,” but it could also mean ”she has,”or “it has.” This table covers the entire conjugation, including all the ways to say “have” in Spanish.
tener – present tense
| yo tengo | I have | nosotros tenemos | We have |
| tú tienes | You have (singular, informal) | vosotros tenéis | You have (plural, informal in Spain) |
| él/ella tiene | He/she/it has | ellos/ellas | They have |
| usted tiene | You have (formal) | ustedes tienen | You have (plural) |
Conjugation of haber
If you wanted to say “has” as in “He has studied for years,” you’ll need the verb haber, followed by a past participle to form the present perfect tense. The form ha would translate to “has.”
This chart has the whole conjugation of the verb haber + the past participle of the verb estudiar (to study) to illustrate how the conjugated verb haber is used as the auxiliary verb of the present perfect. Many -AR verbs like estudiar will follow this pattern to become past participles, replacing the -AR ending with “-ado.”
haber + estudiar – present perfect tense
| yo he estudiado | I have studied | nosotros hemos estudiado | We have studied |
| tú has estudiado | You have studied (singular, informal) | vosotros habéis estudiado | You have studied (plural, informal in Spain) |
| él/ella ha estudiado | He/she/it has studied | ellos/ellas han estudiado | They have |
| usted ha estudiado | You have studied (formal) | ustedes han estudiado | You have studied (plural) |
Verbs ending in -ER or -IR are similar, except the ending changes to “-ido” for the past participle.
haber + comer – present perfect tense
| yo he comido | I have eaten | nosotros hemos comido | We have eaten |
| tú has comido | You have eaten (singular, informal) | vosotros habéis comido | You have eaten (plural, informal in Spain) |
| él/ella ha comido | He/she/it has eaten | ellos/ellas han comido | They have eaten |
| usted ha comido | You have eaten (formal) | ustedes han comido | You have eaten (plural) |
Other expressions in Spanish with ‘has’
How do you say that someone is a “has-been” in Spanish? For specific phrases, Spanish idioms, and even proverbs containing the English word “has,” it may mean learning the expression in context. In the table there are some more common phrases that include “has” in English, but where there’s no direct translation or a different verb is used in Spanish.
| Spanish | Literal English Translation | English Meaning |
| A cada santo llega su día. | To each saint arrives his day. | Every dog has its day. |
| Dicen que… | They say that… | Rumor has it that… |
| Ese actor ya no es tan famoso como antes. | That actor isn’t as famous as before. | That actor is a has-been. |
| La casa cuenta con # dormitorios y # baños. | The house counts with # bedrooms and # bathrooms. | The house has # bedrooms and # bathrooms. |
| La leyenda cuenta que El Coco es un monstruo con mucho pelo y dientes afilados. | The legend tells that “El Coco” is a monster with lots of hair and sharp teeth. | Legend has it that “El Coco” is a monster with lots of hair and sharp teeth. |
| Ella nos invita a desayunar los sábados por la mañana. | She invites us to eat breakfast on Saturdays in the morning. | She has us over for breakfast on Saturday mornings. |
| No hay mal que por bien no venga. | There is no bad that because of it good doesn’t come. | Every cloud has a silver lining. |
Master common verbs in Spanish with Rosetta Stone
Learning common verb forms like “has” is a necessary part of learning a new language. Studying conjugation tables can be a helpful tool, but you’ll want to start taking note of that verb form in meaningful sentences to really make it stick. Pay special attention when you’re chatting with native speakers or listening to music in Spanish.
Recognizing verb forms like ha or tiene in authentic contexts is more likely to help you retain that information in the long-term than memorizing conjugation. Unlock powerful learning opportunities while traveling, watching Spanish language television, or learning with Rosetta Stone’s Dynamic Immersion method.
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