We use the preterite tense of the verb “tener” (to have) to talk about age in the past Spanish.
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To talk about age in the past Spanish, we use the preterite tense of the verb “tener” (to have). For example, “yo tenía diez años” (I was ten years old).
In Spanish, the verb “tener” is commonly used to express age, as it is in English. However, when referring to age in the past, the preterite tense is used. This is because the preterite tense is used to describe past actions that have been completed.
Interestingly, in Spanish-speaking cultures, there is sometimes a societal emphasis on age and respect for elders. In some Latin American countries, for example, it is common to use formal pronouns and titles when addressing someone older than oneself.
Here is a table showing the preterite tense conjugation of “tener” in the past tense:
Pronoun
Conjugation
yo
tuve
tú
tuviste
él/ella
tuvo
nosotros/nosotras
tuvimos
vosotros/vosotras
tuvisteis
ellos/ellas
tuvieron
As the famous Spanish poet Antonio Machado once said, “No hay camino, se hace camino al andar” (“There is no path, the path is made by walking.”) This quote reminds us that we must continually move forward and make our way in life, regardless of our age or past experiences.
Video response to “What do we use to talk about age in the past Spanish?”
This video teaches viewers how to ask about someone’s age in Spanish, highlighting the difference between the formal and informal ways of speaking. The formal way to ask is “cuántos años tiene usted” and the informal way is “cuántos años tienes.” An appropriate response is “tengo veinticuatro anos,” which means “I am 24 years old.” The video ends by promoting the next lesson on Spanish numbers and urging viewers to subscribe to the channel for more Spanish lessons.
In Spanish, we use the verb tener (to have) to talk about age. To say I am [number] years old, we use tengo + [number of years] + años.
When speaking about ages in the past, the imperfect tense normally is used. Use of the preterite suggests the time when someone turned a certain age.
What do we use to talk about age in the past Spanish? Whenever you want to refer to someone’s age in the past or tell what was the time when something happened also use the imperfect tense. Eran poco más de las tres de la tarde de ayer. (It was a little after three in the afternoon of yesterday.)
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What is the word for age in Spanish?
Answer will be: tener To say an age, you use tener (number) años, putting the correct number for the person’s age before the word años .
Why do we use tener for age?
Answer to this: The verb tener not only means to own. It may express sensations experimented by someone: tener frío, hambre, sed, etc. And about time, it expresses that time has been running, passing on someone: Tengo cinco años sin fumar.
How is the imperfect used to talk about the past in Spanish?
The imperfect is used to describe past actions that have no clear beginning and end. This includes descriptions, age, weather, time, and emotions. It also refers to repeated action (translated as “used to”) such as, “iba todos los veranos” (I used to go every summer).
What verb should you use when saying I am 15 years old in Spanish?
Answer and Explanation: ‘I am 15 years old’ is said in Spanish ‘tengo quince años’ (pronounced TAYN-goh KEEN-thay AH-nyohs). To tell your age, in Spanish, you have to use a structure quite different from the English one. We use the verb ‘tener’ (to have) followed by the number of years.
How do you say age in Spanish?
In reply to that: The most common way of stating someone’s age in Spanish is using a form of the phrase "ttener _____ años." For example, to say "Laura is 26 years old," say "Laura tiene 26 años. In general, you shouldn’t omit años, the word for "year." Other units of time, such as meses for months or días, can be used instead of años when appropriate.
How to talk about childhood in Spanish?
If you want to talk about childhood in Spanish, you need to know how to use and differentiate Spanish past tenses: the preterite and the imperfect. If you need a quick refreshment before continuing, check out Preterite vs Imperfect: A Beginner’s Guide to the Past Tense in Spanish. Nací en primavera.
How to talk about the past in Spanish?
The response is: This is one easiest ways to talk about the past in Spanish without having to learn several conjugations. It is simple, you only have to add the word for “before” in Spanish (which is “aantes”) between a personal pronoun and a verb in infinitive. Let’s review a few examples to see how it works.
Which tense is used when talking about ages in the past?
Answer: When speaking about ages in the past, the imperfect tense normally is used. Use of the preterite suggests the time when someone turned a certain age. See how the verb choice affects the meaning of these sentences: El atleta tomó esteroides cuando tenía 18 años. (The athlete took steroids when he was 18 years old.
How do you say age in Spanish?
The reply will be: The most common way of stating someone’s age in Spanish is using a form of the phrase "ttener _____ años." For example, to say "Laura is 26 years old," say "Laura tiene 26 años. In general, you shouldn’t omit años, the word for "year." Other units of time, such as meses for months or días, can be used instead of años when appropriate.
How to talk about childhood in Spanish?
If you want to talk about childhood in Spanish, you need to know how to use and differentiate Spanish past tenses: the preterite and the imperfect. If you need a quick refreshment before continuing, check out Preterite vs Imperfect: A Beginner’s Guide to the Past Tense in Spanish. Nací en primavera.
How to ask someone's past age in Spanish?
Take Note: When it comes to asking someone’s past age in Spanish, you need to use the imperfect tense. This is because age is just providing background information about the circumstances that surrounded an action. 3. ¿Cuál es tu edad? – What is your age? ¿Cuál es tu edad? can also be used to ask people’s age in Spanish.
How to talk about the past in Spanish?
Answer to this: This is one easiest ways to talk about the past in Spanish without having to learn several conjugations. It is simple, you only have to add the word for “before” in Spanish (which is “aantes”) between a personal pronoun and a verb in infinitive. Let’s review a few examples to see how it works.
