"tener..."

[laepelba]

Listening to a podcast today, I heard the following sentences:

"Hoy tiene el mar un azul precioso."
"Hoy tiene el campo unos colores preciosos."
"Hoy tiene la niña unos colores preciosos."

I was surprised by the use of "tener" in the first two sentences, but it makes some sense to me. I would probably have said "hoy está el mar un azul precioso" and "hoy está el campo unos colores preciosos", but I understand (I think) why "tener".

But in the third sentence, I don't really understand. Does it mean that the girl is wearing clothes with pretty colors? Why "tener" instead of "llevar"? Can you give me some other examples of sentences with "tener" in this sense?

Thank you!!

[aleCcowaN]

It also could be "¡Hoy tiene la niña un humor de perros!". Tener relates with transitory qualities, the same way estar relates with transitory states. "Hoy la niña está enferma y tiene una fiebre que vuela", "hoy el mar está calmo y tiene un azul precioso", "el cielo está rojizo y tiene un aspecto brumoso".

[chileno]

Originally Posted by laepelba

Listening to a podcast today, I heard the following sentences:

"Hoy tiene el mar un azul precioso."
"Hoy tiene el campo unos colores preciosos."
"Hoy tiene la niña unos colores preciosos."

I was surprised by the use of "tener" in the first two sentences, but it makes some sense to me. I would probably have said "hoy está el mar de un azul precioso" and "hoy está el campo de unos colores preciosos", but I understand (I think) why "tener".

But in the third sentence, I don't really understand. Does it mean that the girl is wearing clothes with pretty colors? Why "tener" instead of "llevar"? Can you give me some other examples of sentences with "tener" in this sense?

Thank you!!

In the third case, generally is used to say that your face sports nice color as in healthy. And yes, you are right about llevar when wearing clothes

[laepelba]

Originally Posted by aleCcowaN

It also could be "¡Hoy tiene la niña un humor de perros!". Tener relates with transitory qualities, the same way estar relates with transitory states. "Hoy la niña está enferma y tiene una fiebre que vuela", "hoy el mar está calmo y tiene un azul precioso", "el cielo está rojizo y tiene un aspecto brumoso".

I'm not sure I understand the difference between transitory qualities and transitory states.....

Originally Posted by chileno

In the third case, generally is used to say that your face sports nice color as in healthy. And yes, you are right about llevar when wearing clothes

I suppose I'm still not clear. Is the third sentence talking about her clothes? Or not? If wearing clothes would be "llevar", then what does this sentence mean??

[chileno]

Originally Posted by laepelba

I'm not sure I understand the difference between transitory qualities and transitory states.....



I suppose I'm still not clear. Is the third sentence talking about her clothes? Or not? If wearing clothes would be "llevar", then what does this sentence mean??

According to me, the colors refers to her face and not her clothes.

[laepelba]

I still don't understand about transitory states vs. transitory qualities.

And how can someone's face have "colores preciosos"? I still don't understand that sentence...

[aleCcowaN]

When using estar we refer to some "state of being", so to speak; a fundamental characteristic that may change. With tener we mention some complementary or attached qualities that are secondary. Saying "hoy el mar está de un azul hermoso" or "el mar tiene hoy un azul hermoso" are not very different, however there are lots of nuances and hidden information there. With estar that azul hermoso becomes a transitory state, one of the possible state of being of mar, while mar itself becomes a very definite subject, a little bit as it is a person. With tener that azul hermoso becomes the quality we are focusing on while mar is just the thing having that quality, which may change or not ("voy de vacaciones a las Bahamas, donde el mar siempre tiene un azul hermoso"). Native speakers use estar when we are focusing in a changing state of some important subject, and tener when we focus on some quality and we are not emphasizing neither the temporal aspect nor the subject having that quality.

The best example I can think now of how native speakers discriminate among those uses is telling our wives "Hoy tienes una hermosura especial" instead of telling them "Hoy estás especialmente hermosa". The first one looks like beauty is something bought around the corner and not essential to the subject, so as a compliment it backfires.

[chileno]

Originally Posted by laepelba

And how can someone's face have "colores preciosos"? I still don't understand that sentence...

Like I said, it refers, generally, to looking healthy and pretty.