haber tenido

to have had

→ haber

phrase Very common #767

to have had Perfect infinitive of tener. It is used to refer to something that was had in the past, often after another verb like deber, poder, or querer: deberías haber tenido = you should have had.

SP: Me alegra haber tenido tiempo para hablar contigo.

EN: I'm glad to have had time to talk with you.

Deberías haber tenido más cuidado.

You should have been more careful.

Tienen que haber tenido un accidente.

They must have had an accident.

Mary debe haber tenido una buena razón para lo que hizo.

Mary must have had a good reason for what she did.

Él parece haber tenido una gran cantidad de dinero.

He appears to have had a large amount of money.

No deberíamos haber tenido a Harry.

We shouldn't have had Harry.

— Un lugar en ninguna parte (1988)

Pero reconozco que debe haber tenido sus razones.

But I admit he must have had his reasons.

Debería haber tenido más cuidado con eso.

I should have been more careful about that.

Tú eres el hijo que debería haber tenido.

You are the son I should have had.

Tom no podía haber tenido nada que ver con lo que pasó la semana pasada.

Tom couldn't have had anything to do with what happened last week.

Deben haber tenido un accidente.

They must have been in an accident.

Me alegro de no haber tenido que hacer eso.

I'm glad I didn't have to do that.

Tom pudo haber tenido un cómplice.

Tom may have had an accomplice.

Al no haber tenido noticias suyas, le volví a escribir.

Having not heard from him, I wrote to him again.

De haber tenido éxito alguna vez, no habría cambiado tan fácilmente.

Had I ever succeeded, I wouldn't have changed so easily.

— El imperio de las sombras (2016)

Podrías haber tenido una madre normal.

You could have had a normal mother.

— Mañana empieza todo (2016)

Debe haber tenido unos diez años.

He must have been about ten years old.

— Die My Love (2025)

Bob debe haber tenido un accidente.

Bob must have had an accident.

Merecías haber tenido una vida mejor.

You deserved to have had a better life.

— Cuentos de Tokio (1953)

Ella debe haber tenido una convulsión.

She must have had a seizure.

— Avatar: El sentido del agua (2022)

Quisiera haber tenido este problema.

I wish I had had this problem.

Así que deben de haber tenido una llave.

So they must have had a key.

Tom no podía haber tenido nada que ver con esto.

Tom couldn't possibly have had anything to do with this.

Si me salvaste la vida, alguna razón has de haber tenido.

If you saved my life, you must have had a reason.

— El profesional (Léon) (1994)

Ella debió haber tenido más cuidado.

She should have been more careful.

Eres el mejor hermanito que pude haber tenido.

You’re the best little brother I could have ever had.

Habría sido más fácil de haber tenido noticias tuyas.

It would have been easier if I had heard from you.

Tom no parece haber tenido ni idea de que esto iba a suceder.

Tom doesn't seem to have had any idea that this was going to happen.

Debo mi éxito al hecho de no haber tenido jamás un reloj en mi lugar de trabajo.

I owe my success to the fact that I’ve never had a clock in my workplace.

Su único delito ha sido enamorarse como una idiota y haber tenido miedo.

Her only crime has been falling in love like an idiot and being afraid.

— Mujeres al borde de un ataque de nervios (1988)

Deberíamos haber tenido más cuidado.

We should have been more careful.

Creo que todos deberíamos haber tenido más cuidado.

I think we all should have been more careful.

Ellos debieron haber tenido una mente noble.

They must have had a noble mind.

Entonces, debes haber tenido sexo con ella.

So, you must have had sex with her.

— The Chaser (2008)