In Spanish, that have usually translates as que tienen, with que introducing a relative clause and the verb form matching the subject.
English learners run into the phrase that have all the time: “people that have pets,” “houses that have gardens,” “rules that have exceptions.”
When you move into Spanish, this little chunk carries a lot of grammar inside it.
You need a relative word, the right verb form, and sometimes even a different mood.
Once you see the patterns, that have in spanish stops feeling mysterious and starts to feel routine.
This guide walks through the main ways to say that have in spanish, how to match people and things, how tense and mood change the meaning, and the slips learners make most often.
Along the way you get real examples you can copy and adapt in your own speaking and writing.
Core Meaning Of That Have In Spanish
In most everyday sentences, English that have turns into Spanish que + verb.
The word que acts as a relative word that links two parts of the sentence, and the verb agrees with the people or things you are talking about.
The usual present tense match for “that have” is que tienen or que tienen with a different subject.
Past and compound tenses also appear a lot: que tenían, que han tenido, que tuvieron, and, in more advanced settings, subjunctive forms such as que tengan.
| English Pattern | Spanish Pattern | Example Pair |
|---|---|---|
| People that have | personas que tienen | People that have time → personas que tienen tiempo |
| Things that have | cosas que tienen | Things that have wheels → cosas que tienen ruedas |
| Places that have | lugares que tienen | Places that have shade → lugares que tienen sombra |
| One thing that has | algo que tiene | A house that has a patio → una casa que tiene patio |
| People that have had | personas que han tenido | People that have had pets → personas que han tenido mascotas |
| Things that had | cosas que tenían / tuvieron | Things that had value → cosas que tenían valor |
| Things that might have | cosas que puedan tener / tengan | Things that might have errors → cosas que puedan tener errores |
Notice that the English word that often disappears in Spanish.
The job of joining the parts falls on que, which the Diccionario panhispánico de dudas entry on que describes as a very flexible relative word with both pronoun and conjunction uses.
That Have In Spanish In Everyday Sentences
The fastest way to feel comfortable with That Have In Spanish is to sort examples by what you talk about: people, things, and places.
Each group tends to pull the verb in similar directions and repeats the same helpful patterns.
Talking About People That Have Something
When you talk about people that have a trait, a habit, or an object, the usual pattern is personas / gente / amigos + que tienen + complemento.
Examples:
- People that have children → personas que tienen hijos.
- Friends that have time → amigos que tienen tiempo.
- Students that have questions → estudiantes que tienen preguntas.
If the noun is singular, switch to que tiene:
- A neighbor that has a dog → un vecino que tiene un perro.
- A woman that has two jobs → una mujer que tiene dos trabajos.
Talking About Things That Have Features
The same structure works for objects, products, or abstract things.
Here, English that have again turns into que tienen, tied to the plural subject:
- Cars that have electric motors → coches que tienen motor eléctrico.
- Phones that have good cameras → móviles que tienen buena cámara.
- Rules that have clear limits → reglas que tienen límites claros.
With a single item you stay with que tiene:
- A house that has a garden → una casa que tiene jardín.
- A rule that has one exception → una regla que tiene una excepción.
Talking About Places That Have Features
Place names and general terms like cities, countries, or neighborhoods behave the same way.
- Cities that have beaches → ciudades que tienen playa.
- Hotels that have parking → hoteles que tienen aparcamiento.
- Neighborhoods that have parks → barrios que tienen parques.
If the subject is singular, switch again to que tiene:
- A city that has a river → una ciudad que tiene un río.
Choosing Relative Words With That Have In Spanish
English uses that in many settings.
Spanish usually goes with que, though there are other choices in formal style.
The Real Academia Española lists que, cual, and quien as the main relative words, each with preferred spots in a sentence.:contentReference[oaicite:0]{index=0}
Que: The Default Choice
For almost every neutral sentence with that have, que works and sounds natural:
- People that have pets → personas que tienen mascotas.
- Books that have pictures → libros que tienen dibujos.
- Shops that have fresh bread → tiendas que tienen pan fresco.
This matches examples you often see in grammar guides where relative clauses tighten the meaning of the noun, as in “gente que vive aquí” or “casas que tienen jardín”.:contentReference[oaicite:1]{index=1}
El Que, La Que, Los Que, Las Que
These longer forms appear when you need to stress the noun or avoid confusion:
- The ones that have a garden → las que tienen jardín.
- The one that has blue doors → la que tiene puertas azules.
- The one that has the highest price → el que tiene el precio más alto.
Here, the meaning is closer to “the ones who have” or “the one which has,” and Spanish speakers often lean on these forms when a simple que could sound vague.:contentReference[oaicite:2]{index=2}
Quien And Quienes
With people, quien and quienes can appear, usually in more formal language or after prepositions, yet que still dominates.
- Those who have time help → quienes tienen tiempo ayudan.
- The people with whom you have class → las personas con quienes tienes clase.
For beginner and intermediate levels, staying with que for “that have” sentences keeps life simple and matches a lot of real speech.
Tense And Mood When You Say That Have In Spanish
Up to now the focus has been present tense, yet English “that have” matches several Spanish tenses.
The choice tells the listener whether the trait sits in the present, the past, or an ongoing time frame.
Present And Past For That Have
Use the present for facts and regular traits:
- People that have internet at home → personas que tienen internet en casa.
- Streets that have little traffic → calles que tienen poco tráfico.
Use past tenses when the trait belonged to an earlier time:
- Houses that had gardens → casas que tenían jardín.
- Teams that had good players → equipos que tenían buenos jugadores.
- People that have had bad experiences → personas que han tenido malas experiencias.
Subjunctive Mood In Relative Clauses
English keeps the same “that have” form in many settings.
Spanish sometimes switches to the subjunctive when the noun is unknown, not specific, or only exists in your wishes.:contentReference[oaicite:3]{index=3}
Compare:
-
I am looking for houses that have three rooms (I know they exist) →
Busco casas que tienen tres habitaciones (less common) /
more often Busco casas que tengan tres habitaciones. -
I want friends that have time to travel →
Quiero amigos que tengan tiempo para viajar. -
There is no shop that has that product →
No hay ninguna tienda que tenga ese producto.
In the last two examples the subjunctive (tengan, tenga) fits because the speaker talks about a wish or denies the existence of the thing.
So the English surface “that have” hides a choice between que tienen and que tengan.
Quick Rule Of Thumb For Subjunctive
Use an indicative form (tienen, han tenido) when you talk about concrete, known people or things.
Use a subjunctive form (tengan, hayan tenido) when the people or things are not identified, only wished for, or denied.
If you want more examples, a clear reference is this guide to the
subjunctive in Spanish relative clauses
.
Common Problems With That Have In Spanish
Learners repeat the same patterns of trouble when they try to say That Have In Spanish.
Most problems come from dropping que, copying English word order, or choosing the wrong verb form.
| Typical Error | Better Spanish Form | Brief Note |
|---|---|---|
| *personas tienen trabajo | personas que tienen trabajo | Need que to link the clause. |
| *un amigo tienen coche | un amigo que tiene coche | Verb agrees with singular amigo. |
| *casas que tiene jardín | casas que tienen jardín | Verb agrees with plural casas. |
| *busco casa que tiene jardín | busco casa que tenga jardín | Wish for a type of house, so subjunctive fits better. |
| *no hay personas que tienen coche | no hay personas que tengan coche | Denied existence usually calls for subjunctive. |
| *lugares que tienen sombra mucho | lugares que tienen mucha sombra | Keep normal Spanish word order. |
| *reglas tienen excepción | reglas que tienen una excepción | Again, include que after the noun. |
Word Order Around Que
English sometimes drops that.
Spanish needs que in most of these sentences, so a good mental check is: noun + que + verb.
If you catch yourself saying “personas tienen”, you probably need “personas que tienen” instead.
Agreement With The Subject
Every time you use That Have In Spanish, ask “who has this thing?”
The answer tells you whether you need tiene, tienen, or a past form.
Practice pairs like “la casa que tiene” / “las casas que tienen” until they come out with no effort.
Practice Ideas For That Have In Spanish
Short, regular practice beats long sessions once a month.
Ten minutes with focused examples of that have in spanish helps more than a long list you never revisit.
The goal is to reach a point where “que tienen” or “que tenga” pop into your sentence without a pause.
Build Your Own Sentence Sets
Pick one group each day: people, things, or places.
Write five English lines with that have, then write the Spanish versions and say them out loud.
- People that have free time → personas que tienen tiempo libre.
- Things that have metal parts → cosas que tienen partes de metal.
- Places that have live music → lugares que tienen música en vivo.
Swap present for past, then try a few lines with wishes or negative sentences so you can practice subjunctive forms as well.
Listen And Copy
When you watch series, videos, or clips in Spanish, listen for sentences with que tiene or que tienen.
Pause, repeat the line, and then swap in your own nouns and objects.
This kind of shadowing gives you ready-made shells for real conversation.
As you keep writing, speaking, and listening, That Have In Spanish turns into a stable pattern you barely think about.
You start with simple lines like personas que tienen trabajo, add more tenses and moods, and soon those relative clauses let you describe people, places, and things with far more detail.