Tener vs. haber
In Spanish, both tener and haber can translate to to have in English, but they are not interchangeable. Tener primarily means to possess, while haber is used as an auxiliary verb to form perfect tenses or to express existence.
Tener
A1Tener is the main verb used to express possession or ownership of things, qualities, or relationships. It is also used in many idiomatic expressions to describe age, physical states, or obligations.
Tengo un coche nuevo.
(I have a new car.)
Ella tiene el pelo largo y oscuro.
(She has long, dark hair.)
Mi abuela tiene noventa años.
(My grandmother is ninety years old.)
Nosotros tenemos mucha hambre.
(We are very hungry.)
Tengo que estudiar para el examen.
(I have to study for the exam.)
Él tiene miedo de las alturas.
(He is afraid of heights.)
¿Tienes tiempo para ayudarme?
(Do you have time to help me?)
Haber
A1Haber functions primarily as an auxiliary (helping) verb, paired with a past participle to form compound tenses, like the English have in I have eaten. It is also used in its special impersonal form, hay, to mean there is or there are, indicating existence.
Yo he viajado a muchos países.
(I have traveled to many countries.)
Ellos no han terminado la tarea.
(They have not finished the homework.)
Hay dos sillas en la habitación.
(There are two chairs in the room.)
Cuando llegué, la película ya había empezado.
(When I arrived, the movie had already started.)
¿Has visto mis llaves?
(Have you seen my keys?)
Ayer hubo un accidente en la autopista.
(Yesterday there was an accident on the highway.)
No hay nada en la nevera.
(There is nothing in the fridge.)
Summary
In summary, use tener when talking about possession, ownership, age, feelings, or obligations (I have a book, I am 20 years old, I have to leave). Use haber as a helping verb to form tenses like the present perfect (I have spoken) or in its impersonal form hay to express existence (There is a problem).