The phrase “Do you have…?” in Spanish is useful for urgent requests, ordering in restaurants, finding the perfect fit in stores, or for starting social conversations. Depending on who you’re asking, you would say ¿Usted tiene…? for formal settings, ¿Tienes…? for casual conversations with a friend, or ¿Tienen…? if you’re asking a group.
With this guide, clear up any confusion on how to say “Do you have…?” in Spanish, learn the different forms of tener you’ll need to ask this question in both formal and informal settings, and learn how to use it to get more information and get to know people better.
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How to ask ‘Do you have…?’ in Spanish
How to say “Do you have…?” will depend on the formality of your situation (using usted vs. tú) and the number of people you are addressing. The verb tener (to have) in Spanish has six different forms, and there are multiple ways to say “you” in Spanish, so the forms of any Spanish verb vary according to its conjugation.
Once you can easily recall these forms of the verb tener, you can focus on the situation and your surroundings instead of conjugating verbs, which will make it easier to ask “Do you have…?” correctly in every situation.
Tener conjugation chart
The verb tener is one of the most common irregular verbs in Spanish. Mastering its conjugation will help you take your conversations and interactions to the next level.
tener (to have; present tense)
| yo tengo | I have | nosotros tenemos | we have |
| tú tienes | you have (informal) | vosotros tenéis | you have (informal, plural – Spain only) |
| él/ella tieneusted tiene | he/she hasyou have (formal) | ellos/ellas tienenustedes tienen | they haveyou have (plural) |
Informal ways to ask ‘Do you have…?’ in Spanish
To say “Do you have…?” in Spanish informal settings, like with friends or children, most Spanish speakers use tienes.
- Me caí de la bicicleta. ¿Tienes una venda? = I fell from my bike. Do you have a bandage?
- ¿Tienes mantequilla? = Do you have any butter?
In many Spanish dialects, the vos form is common in place of tú, so you might hear ¿vos tenés…? (do you have) instead.
Saying ‘Do you have…?’ in formal settings
If you’re interacting with an employee at an airport or someone you’ve met for the first time, you’ll use ¿Tiene…? with or without the subject pronoun usted.
- ¿Tiene una maleta? = Do you have a suitcase?
- ¿Usted tiene un abrigo y un sombrero? = Do you have a coat and a hat?
Asking a group ‘Do you have…?’ in Spanish
In Latin America, the plural form of “you” in Spanish is ustedes, so your question to a group of people will be ¿Tienen…? no matter what the situation.
- ¿Qué tienen ustedes? = What do you have?
- ¿Tienen ustedes los boletos? = Do you have the tickets?
In Spain, there is also vosotros, a casual plural form of “you.” Your question will be ¿(Vosotros) teneís…?
- ¿Tenéis las entradas? = Do you have the tickets?
- ¿Tenéis preguntas? = Do you have questions?
Many of these questions are common in face-to-face conversations, but when you’re writing, you’ll want to include the Spanish upside-down question mark as well.
Using ‘Do you have…?’ in a restaurant or shop
The phrase “Do you have…?” in Spanish is helpful on your travels or in your everyday life as you run errands, order food in Spanish, exchange items, or make requests. You’ll open up opportunities for further conversation with the locals if you can begin a conversation this way.
Coupled with polite phrases like por favor (please) and gracias (thank you) in Spanish, you’ll be able to get what you need in a respectful way.
- ¿Tiene este vestido en talla mediana? = Do you have this dress in a medium?
- ¿Tiene el recibo? = Do you have the receipt?
Words like algunos (some) or un poco de (a little bit of) are helpful additions in Spanish, though they’re not always needed.
For instance, the following examples have basically the same meaning.
- ¿Tienes azúcar? = Do you have (any) sugar?
- ¿Tienes algo de azúcar? = Do you have some sugar?
- ¿Tienes servilletas? = Do you have napkins?
- ¿Tienes algunas servilletas? = Do you have any napkins?
This is an indirect way of making a request. You can also be more direct and ask “Can I have…?” in Spanish.
Ask ¿Tienes…? to get to know people better
One of the biggest reasons for learning a language is to connect with others, either for work or socially. When you meet a new friend or neighbor, once you’ve introduced yourself with “My name is…” in Spanish, starting off with some neutral questions can help you build the friendship, even if you don’t start off with the tú form of the verb right away.
- ¿Tienes hermanos y hermanas? = Do you have siblings?
- ¿Usted tiene un perro? = Do you have a dog?
- ¿Tiene algún pasatiempo? = Do you have a hobby?
Eventually, asking more personal questions in Spanish like ¿Tienes novio? (Do you have a boyfriend?) in Spanish might be a way to get to know them better or even define the relationship. If you’re making plans, questions like ¿Tienes un coche/un carro? (Do you have a car?) in Spanish can help you with the logistics of social events and outings.
Imagine you’re invited to someone’s home and the host asks you what you’d like. You might ask, “What do you have?” in Spanish to find out what your options are before saying “I want” in Spanish.
- ¿Qué quieres en tu café? = What do you want in your coffee?
- ¿Qué tienes? = What do you have?
- ¿Quieres algo para picar? = Do you want something to snack on?
- Sí, me gustaría. ¿Qué teneís? = Sure, I’d like that. What do you have?
How to respond to ¿Tienes…? in Spanish
If you’re answering for yourself, use tengo (I have), or no tengo (I don’t have). If you’re answering on behalf of a group, say tenemos (We have) or no tenemos (We don’t have). You can choose the correct form easily when you know the conjugation of the verb tener.
- ¿Tienes hermanos? = Do you have siblings?
- Sí. Tengo dos hermanos y dos hermanas. = Yes, I have two brothers and two sisters.
- ¿Tienen hijos? = Do you have children?
- Tenemos un hijo y tres hijas. = We have a son and three daughters.
The key to asking “Do you have…?” in Spanish correctly is knowing which form of the verb tener to use. As one of the most commonly used verbs, you’ll master it quickly when you’re exposed to the authentic conversations in Rosetta Stone’s Dynamic Immersion method.
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