Spanish usually says possession with “tiene,” and completed actions with “ha” plus a past participle.
English packs a lot into the tiny word “has.” Sometimes it means ownership (“She has a car”). Sometimes it marks a finished action (“He has eaten”). Spanish does not treat those as the same thing, so the right translation depends on what you mean.
This article gives you a simple way to pick the correct Spanish form, then backs it up with clean examples you can copy into real sentences.
Why “has” splits into two Spanish patterns
In Spanish, “to have” as ownership is usually tener. In Spanish, “has” as part of “has done” is usually haber as an auxiliary verb plus a past participle.
So you’ll often choose between:
- Él tiene… / Ella tiene… (possession, traits, conditions, obligations)
- Él ha… / Ella ha… + participle (a completed action tied to the present)
Saying “he has” and “she has” in Spanish for everyday speech
Start with this quick check: can you swap “has” for “owns” or “has got” without changing the meaning? If yes, Spanish usually wants tiene.
When “has” means possession or something held
Use tiene when “has” points to something the person possesses or holds.
- He has a passport. → Él tiene un pasaporte.
- She has two sisters. → Ella tiene dos hermanas.
- He has a new phone. → Él tiene un teléfono nuevo.
Spanish grammar references list tener as the verb used for “to have/possess.” If you want an official definition and examples of meanings, the RAE entry is a solid reference: RAE definition of “tener”.
When “has” means a trait, age, or a condition
English still uses “has” for many states. Spanish often stays with tener in these cases too.
- She has patience. → Ella tiene paciencia.
- He has 20 years. → Él tiene 20 años.
- She has a cold. → Ella tiene un resfriado.
- He has hunger. → Él tiene hambre.
Notice how some of these feel odd in English (“has hunger”). Spanish treats them as normal.
When “has” means “has to”
English “has to” is obligation. Spanish often uses tener que + infinitive.
- He has to work today. → Él tiene que trabajar hoy.
- She has to leave early. → Ella tiene que salir temprano.
When “has” is part of a completed action
Now the other big meaning: “has” can help form the present perfect (“has eaten,” “has arrived”). Spanish usually uses ha (from haber) plus a past participle.
- He has eaten. → Él ha comido.
- She has arrived. → Ella ha llegado.
- He has studied a lot. → Él ha estudiado mucho.
If you want a quick meaning check, a bilingual dictionary entry for tener can help you separate “to have/own” from other uses: Cambridge entry for “tener”.
Pick the right Spanish form with a fast meaning test
Use this three-step method. It’s simple, and it prevents the most common mistake: using tener when you need haber, or the other way around.
Step 1: Replace “has” with “owns”
If the sentence still makes sense, choose tiene.
- She has a car → She owns a car → Ella tiene un coche.
- He has a ticket → He owns a ticket → Él tiene un boleto.
Step 2: Replace “has” with “has already done”
If “has” signals a finished action, choose ha + participle.
- He has finished → Él ha terminado.
- She has seen it → Ella lo ha visto.
Step 3: Watch out for English shortcuts
English often says “He has a shower” meaning “He takes a shower.” Spanish does not translate that as tener in many cases. It often prefers a different verb.
- He has a shower (takes one). → Él se ducha.
- She has a look (takes a look). → Ella mira.
That’s why translating “has” word-for-word can feel off. The meaning test keeps you safe.
Common “has” meanings and the Spanish pattern to use
This table compresses the most frequent meanings of “has” and shows the Spanish structure that fits each one. Use it like a menu: match the meaning, then build your sentence.
| Meaning of “has” in English | Spanish pattern | Clean example |
|---|---|---|
| Possession (owns/holds) | Él/Ella tiene + noun | Ella tiene un coche. |
| Family or relationships | Él/Ella tiene + noun | Él tiene dos hermanos. |
| Age | Él/Ella tiene + number + años | Ella tiene 30 años. |
| Condition (cold, hunger, fear) | Él/Ella tiene + noun | Él tiene frío. |
| Obligation (“has to”) | Él/Ella tiene que + infinitive | Ella tiene que estudiar. |
| Completed action (“has done”) | Él/Ella ha + participle | Él ha comido. |
| Experience up to now | Él/Ella ha + participle | Ella ha viajado mucho. |
| Time passed (“has been”) | Hace + time + que… / Lleva… | Hace dos años que vive aquí. |
| Physical feelings (hurts) | Le + verb (doler, etc.) | Le duele la cabeza. |
Small details that change meaning fast
Once you’ve picked tiene or ha, a few small choices can still change the sentence. These are the spots where learners slip.
“Él” vs “el” and why the accent matters
Spanish uses an accent mark to separate the pronoun él (“he”) from the article el (“the”). If you write el tiene, you’ve written “the has,” which breaks the sentence.
If you want a clear language note from a respected Spanish usage source, Fundéu has guidance on how él behaves as a pronoun in real sentences: Fundéu note on “él” usage.
Subject pronouns are optional in Spanish
Spanish often drops the subject pronoun because the verb ending already tells you who it is. Both lines can be correct:
- Tiene un coche.
- Él tiene un coche.
Adding él or ella can add contrast or clarity. Leaving it out often sounds more natural in daily speech.
Negative sentences
Negation is straightforward. Put no right before the verb.
- He doesn’t have time. → Él no tiene tiempo.
- She hasn’t eaten. → Ella no ha comido.
Questions
In many cases, Spanish keeps the same word order and relies on intonation and question marks.
- Does he have a ticket? → ¿Él tiene un boleto?
- Has she arrived? → ¿Ella ha llegado?
Quick conjugation cheats for the forms you’ll use most
You only need a small slice of conjugation to translate “he has” and “she has” well. This table sticks to high-frequency forms that show up in daily writing and speech.
| English idea | Spanish form (él/ella/usted) | Sample sentence |
|---|---|---|
| has (possession, now) | tiene | Tiene una cita. |
| had (possession, past) | tuvo / tenía | Tuvo suerte. / Tenía sueño. |
| will have (possession) | tendrá | Tendrá tiempo mañana. |
| has done (present perfect) | ha + participle | Ha terminado temprano. |
| had done (past perfect) | había + participle | Había salido antes. |
| has to (obligation) | tiene que + infinitive | Tiene que llamar hoy. |
| has got (same as “has”) | tiene | Tiene una idea. |
When you want an authoritative note that tener is irregular and has forms like tiene, the RAE’s usage resource is a helpful anchor: RAE “Diccionario panhispánico de dudas” entry for “tener”.
Practice sentences you can recycle
Here are pattern sentences you can keep and swap nouns or verbs into. Read them out loud once. It helps you lock in the rhythm.
Templates with “tiene”
- Él tiene + noun. → Él tiene una llave.
- Ella tiene + number + noun. → Ella tiene tres libros.
- Tiene + condition. → Tiene sed.
- Tiene que + infinitive. → Tiene que pagar hoy.
Templates with “ha”
- Él ha + participle. → Él ha llamado.
- Ella ha + participle + object. → Ella ha comprado pan.
- No ha + participle. → No ha contestado.
- ¿Ha + participle? → ¿Ha llegado?
Fast self-check before you hit publish or send a message
If you’re writing an email, a caption, or a short message, do this mini check. It takes seconds.
- Ask: does “has” mean “owns/has got”? If yes, pick tiene.
- Ask: does “has” mean “has done”? If yes, pick ha + participle.
- Scan for accents: él and ella when you include pronouns.
- Read it once out loud. If it feels heavy, drop the subject pronoun and try again.
Get those right, and your Spanish will read clean and confident, even in short lines.
References & Sources
- Real Academia Española (RAE).“tener” (Diccionario de la lengua española).Defines core meanings of “tener,” including possession and related uses.
- Cambridge Dictionary.“tener” (Spanish–English Dictionary).Shows common translations and senses of “tener” in bilingual use.
- FundéuRAE.“Él / ella (con cosas)”Clarifies how “él” and “ella” function as pronouns in standard usage contexts.
- Real Academia Española (RAE).“tener(se)” (Diccionario panhispánico de dudas).Notes usage and forms of “tener,” including irregular behavior and guidance points.