Spanish Phrase
Ten el móvil cargado.
Meaning
The sentence is a friendly command meaning ‘Make sure the phone is charged’ or ‘Keep the phone charged’. It uses the imperative to give practical advice, often before a trip, a meeting, or any situation where staying reachable is important.
When to use
Use this phrase when you want to remind a friend, family member, or colleague to have a fully charged phone, especially before traveling, attending an event, or heading out for the night.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Tenelmóvilcargado
Imperative of tener
‘Ten’ is the informal (tú) affirmative imperative of the verb ‘tener’, used to give a direct command or advice.
Definite article + noun
‘el móvil’ combines the masculine singular definite article ‘el’ with the noun ‘móvil’ (mobile phone).
Past participle as adjective
‘cargado’ is the past participle of ‘cargar’ and functions here as an adjective, agreeing in gender and number with ‘móvil’.
🗨In Conversation
Ten el móvil cargado antes de salir.
Make sure the phone is charged before we go out.
¡Claro, lo haré!
Sure, I’ll do it!
✕Common Mistakes
Tienes el móvil cargado.
‘Tienes’ is the present indicative, not a command. Use ‘Ten’ for the imperative.
Ten el móvil cargando.
‘Cargando’ is a gerund (charging) and does not convey the idea of being already charged.
Ten un móvil cargado.
The article should match the intended meaning; ‘el móvil’ refers to a specific phone, which is typical in this reminder.
↔Alternatives
Asegúrate de que el móvil esté cargado.
Make sure the phone is charged.
Mantén el móvil con batería.
Keep the phone with battery.
No olvides cargar el móvil.
Don’t forget to charge the phone.
Cultural Tip
In many Spanish‑speaking cultures, phones are the main way people coordinate plans. It’s common to hear reminders like this before a night out, a road trip, or a family gathering, showing care for the other person’s ability to stay in touch.