Now that you know the core family members, it's time to expand! In this lesson, you'll learn the extended family — aunts, uncles, cousins, and in-laws. Most importantly, you'll master the verb 'tener' (to have), one of the most useful verbs in Spanish. It's irregular, so pay close attention to how it changes!
Learning tips
- 'Tener' is irregular — the 'yo' form is 'tengo' (not 'teno'). This is one of the most common irregular verbs, so it's worth memorizing.
- Extended family follows the same gender pattern: tío/tía, primo/prima, esposo/esposa — masculine -o, feminine -a.
- In Colombian culture, cousins ('primos') are often as close as siblings. Don't be surprised if someone calls a close friend 'primo'!
- Practice the full 'tener' pattern: tengo, tienes, tiene, tenemos, tienen.
Warm-up & Active Recall
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| la familia | the family |
| la mamá | the mom |
| el papá | the dad |
| el hermano | the brother |
| la hermana | the sister |
| el hijo | the son |
| la hija | the daughter |
| el abuelo | the grandfather |
| la abuela | the grandmother |
| los padres | the parents |
Dialog
Valentina and Andrés discuss their extended families using 'tener' (to have). Notice how 'tener' changes: 'tengo' (I have), 'tienes' (you have), 'tiene' (he/she has). The extended family vocabulary follows the same masculine/feminine pattern: tío/tía (uncle/aunt), primo/prima (male cousin/female cousin), esposo/esposa (husband/wife).
Vocabulary
Active words
| Word | IPA | Translation | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| tener | /te.ˈneɾ/ | to have | Infinitive form — irregular verb |
| tengo | /ˈteŋ.ɡo/ | I have | Irregular first person — note the 'g' |
| tienes | /ˈtje.nes/ | you have (informal) | Used with tú |
| tiene | /ˈtje.ne/ | he/she has, you have (formal) | Used with él, ella, usted |
| el tío | /ˈti.o/ | the uncle | |
| la tía | /ˈti.a/ | the aunt | |
| el primo | /ˈpɾi.mo/ | the cousin (male) | |
| la prima | /ˈpɾi.ma/ | the cousin (female) | |
| el esposo | /es.ˈpo.so/ | the husband | Also: el marido |
| la esposa | /es.ˈpo.sa/ | the wife | Also: la mujer (in this context) |
Passive words
| Word | IPA | Translation | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| el sobrino | /so.ˈβɾi.no/ | the nephew | |
| la sobrina | /so.ˈβɾi.na/ | the niece | |
| el cuñado | /ku.ˈɲa.ðo/ | the brother-in-law | |
| soltero | /sol.ˈte.ɾo/ | single, unmarried | Feminine: soltera |
| casado | /ka.ˈsa.ðo/ | married | Feminine: casada |
| la pareja | /pa.ˈɾe.xa/ | the couple, partner |
Useful chunks
| Word | Translation |
|---|---|
| tengo … hermanos | I have … siblings |
| mi tío y mi tía | my uncle and my aunt |
Grammar: Present tense of 'tener' (tengo, tienes, tiene, tenemos, tienen) — using 'tener' to express possession
| Person | Pronoun | Tener |
|---|---|---|
| 1st singular | yo | tengo |
| 2nd singular (informal) | tú | tienes |
| 2nd singular (formal) / 3rd singular | usted / él / ella | tiene |
| 1st plural | nosotros | tenemos |
| 3rd plural | ellos / ellas / ustedes | tienen |
Usage: Tengo un hermano. (I have a brother.) ¿Tienes hermanos? (Do you have siblings?) Ella tiene dos hijos. (She has two children.)
Tener (to have) is one of the most important verbs in Spanish. It's irregular — meaning it doesn't follow the regular conjugation pattern.
Conjugation:
- yo tengo — I have (note the -go ending!)
- tú tienes — you have (informal)
- usted/él/ella tiene — you have (formal) / he/she has
- nosotros tenemos — we have
- ellos/ustedes tienen — they/you all have
Using tener for possession:
- Tengo dos hermanos. (I have two siblings.)
- ¿Tienes primos? (Do you have cousins?)
- Mi tía tiene tres hijos. (My aunt has three children.)
Note: Unlike English, Spanish doesn't use 'do/does' in questions. Just raise your voice at the end: '¿Tienes hermanos?' The word order can stay the same — your intonation makes it a question.
Exercises
Fill in the Blanks
Complete each sentence with the correct form of 'tener' or the missing family word.
- Yo dos hermanos.(first person of 'tener')
- ¿Tú primos en Colombia?(second person informal of 'tener')
- Mi tía tres hijos.(third person of 'tener')
- El de mi mamá es mi papá.(mother's male partner)
- Mi es la hermana de mi mamá.(mother's sister)
Grammar Application
Conjugate 'tener' for each subject pronoun.
- yo + tener → yo (irregular — ends in -go)
- tú + tener → tú (stem change: ten- → tien-)
- ella + tener → ella (same stem change as tú)
- nosotros + tener → nosotros (regular -emos ending)
- ellos + tener → ellos (stem change + -en)
Translation (English → Spanish)
Translate each sentence into Spanish.
- I have an uncle and an aunt.
- Do you have cousins?
- My wife has two sisters.
- They have three children.
- We have a big family.
Creative Construction
Write 2-3 sentences about your extended family using 'tener' and family vocabulary from Lessons 2.1 and 2.2.
Takeaway
'Tener' (to have) is irregular: tengo, tienes, tiene, tenemos, tienen. Use it to talk about family: 'Tengo dos hermanos.' Extended family follows the same -o/-a gender pattern: tío/tía, primo/prima, esposo/esposa.