In this workshop you will practise talking about pets in Spanish. You will learn how to say what pet you have, give its name, say how old it is, and describe its personality. You will also practise a short friendly exchange about pets. Each native example is based on the lesson recordings, so you can listen and repeat the exact words. Work through the sections first, then try the three speaking tasks. You can play both roles in the dialogue, but there is no automatic assessment, so check your answers with the self-checks provided.
Saying what pet you have and giving its name
To say what pet you have, use tengo, which means 'I have'. Then name the animal, for example un perro (a dog) or una gata (a female cat). To give the pet's name, add que se llama, which literally means 'that is called' and works like 'named' in English. A full example from the recordings is «Tengo un perro que se llama Max.». Here the speaker says they have a dog and gives the dog's name. Notice that the name comes after que se llama. You can use the same pattern for a cat: tengo una gata que se llama... Practise saying the whole line slowly, then a little faster. Keep the word tengo clear at the start.
Saying your pet's age
In Spanish, age uses the verb tener, not ser. So you say my cat has three years, not my cat is three years. A recorded example is «Mi gata tiene tres años.». This means the speaker's female cat is three years old. The word gata means a female cat, and años means years. If you have a male cat, say gato. If you want to ask someone else, you can use the question from the dialogue: «Luna es un nombre bonito. ¿Cuántos años tiene?». This asks how old she is, using cuántos años tiene. Listen for the question word cuántos and the verb tiene at the end. Repeat the question, then answer with your own pet's age using the same pattern.
Describing personality and expressing preference
To describe your pet's personality, use simple adjectives after es (is). A recorded example is «Es muy juguetón y cariñoso.». This means he is very playful and affectionate. The adjectives juguetón and cariñoso describe a male pet. For a female pet, say juguetona and cariñosa. You can also say whether you are more of a dog person or a cat person. The recording «Soy más de gatos.» means I'm more of a cat person. To say you prefer dogs, change the last word to perros. This is a friendly, casual way to share your preference. Practise the phrase with both gatos and perros.
Listen once, then say the phrase yourself. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Checking available voices…
Tengo un perro que se llama Max.
I have a dog named Max.
TEHN-goh oon PEH-rroh keh seh YAH-mah MAHKS
Soy más de gatos.
I'm more of a cat person.
soy mahs deh GAH-tohs
Mi gata tiene tres años.
My cat is three years old.
mee GAH-tah TYEH-neh tres AH-nyohs
Es muy juguetón y cariñoso.
He is very playful and affectionate.
es mwee hoo-geh-TOHN ee kah-ree-NYOH-soh
Read one side aloud, then answer in your own words. The goal is to make the exchange yours.
¿Tienes mascotas?
Do you have pets?Sí, tengo un perro que se llama Max. Es muy juguetón.
Yes, I have a dog named Max. He is very playful.¡Qué lindo! Yo soy más de gatos. Tengo una gata que se llama Luna.
How nice! I'm more of a cat person. I have a cat named Luna.Luna es un nombre bonito. ¿Cuántos años tiene?
Luna is a pretty name. How old is she?Your turn
Try each prompt out loud. Choose a guided start, the full sequence, or a challenge pass after your first attempt.
Guided exchange: ask and answer about pets
Imagine you are talking with a new friend. You will play both roles. First, listen to the question in «¿Tienes mascotas?», which means 'Do you have pets?'. Then listen to the answer in «Sí, tengo un perro que se llama Max. Es muy juguetón.», which means 'Yes, I have a dog named Max. He is very playful.'
Your task: Say the question from «¿Tienes mascotas?» out loud. Then answer with the full line from «Sí, tengo un perro que se llama Max. Es muy juguetón.». Repeat the pair three times. Then swap: answer first with «Sí, tengo un perro que se llama Max. Es muy juguetón.», and then ask the question from «¿Tienes mascotas?».
Reply comprehension: choose the correct response
Listen to the line «¡Qué lindo! Yo soy más de gatos. Tengo una gata que se llama Luna.», which means 'How nice! I'm more of a cat person. I have a cat named Luna.' Then listen to «Luna es un nombre bonito. ¿Cuántos años tiene?», which means 'Luna is a pretty name. How old is she?'
Your task: Read the two lines again. Then say the question from «Luna es un nombre bonito. ¿Cuántos años tiene?» out loud to ask about the cat's age. Then answer the question using the age pattern from «Mi gata tiene tres años.». Say: Mi gata tiene tres años.
Recall and role swap: who says what?
In the dialogue, one speaker asks about pets and the other answers. Listen again to «¿Tienes mascotas?», «Sí, tengo un perro que se llama Max. Es muy juguetón.», «¡Qué lindo! Yo soy más de gatos. Tengo una gata que se llama Luna.» and «Luna es un nombre bonito. ¿Cuántos años tiene?». Notice who asks and who answers.
Your task: Without looking at the lines, say the question from «¿Tienes mascotas?» as if you are the first speaker. Then say the answer from «Sí, tengo un perro que se llama Max. Es muy juguetón.» as if you are the second speaker. Next, say the line from «¡Qué lindo! Yo soy más de gatos. Tengo una gata que se llama Luna.» as the first speaker, and the question from «Luna es un nombre bonito. ¿Cuántos años tiene?» as the second speaker. Try to do this from memory.
Common questions
Do I use ser or tener to say my pet's age?
Use tener. In Spanish you say your pet 'has' years, not 'is' years. The recording «Mi gata tiene tres años.» shows this pattern. The verb tiene comes from tener. Avoid using es for age.
How do I say I prefer cats or dogs?
Use the phrase from «Soy más de gatos.»: Soy más de gatos, which means I'm more of a cat person. To say you prefer dogs, change the last word to perros: Soy más de perros. This is a friendly way to share your preference.
Sources and further reading
- spanish: talk about petsChecked September 2026
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