tenso
adjectiveCEFR B2
What does “tenso” mean in English?
tense — feeling or causing anxiety or stress; strained
tense — feeling or causing anxiety or stress; strained (ambiente tenso, relación tensa, negociación tensa)
Example sentences
La situación estaba muy tensa durante las negociaciones.
The situation was very tense during the negotiations.
Tenía los músculos tensos de tanto esfuerzo.
His muscles were tense from so much effort.
Es una persona tensa que se estresa con facilidad.
She is a tense person who gets stressed easily.
How to use it
'Tenso/a' means tense — either physically taut or emotionally strained. Used with estar for a current state (la situación está tensa) or ser for a personality trait (es una persona muy tensa). The noun is 'tensión'.
Common mistake
Don't use 'nervioso' and 'tenso' interchangeably — 'nervioso' means anxious/nervous (internal feeling); 'tenso' describes strained situations or muscles.