Expressing 'have to' — European Spanish Grammar

The primary structure used to express obligation or necessity is the phrase followed by an infinitive verb. This equates to the English to have to. The construction relies on three distinct parts: the conjugated verb (to have), the conjunction , and the main verb describing the action in its infinitive form (ending in -ar, -er, or -ir).

Conjugating Tener

The verb is irregular. To express that someone has to do something in the present, you must conjugate according to the subject. Note the use of , which is the standard plural "you" form used in Spain.

(I have to)
(You have to)
(He/She/You formal have to)
(We have to)
(You plural have to)
(They/You plural formal have to)

The word never changes, regardless of the subject or tense.

Tengo que ir al supermercado.
I have to go to the supermarket.
Tenéis que esperar aquí.
You (plural) have to wait here.
Ella tiene que renovar su pasaporte.
She has to renew her passport.

Obligation in Different Tenses

Because the obligation is carried by the verb , you can express had to or will have to simply by changing the tense of . The and the infinitive remain untouched.

Ayer tuve que trabajar hasta tarde.
Yesterday I had to work until late.
Mañana tendremos que coger el tren.
Tomorrow we will have to take the train.
Siempre tenía que ayudar en casa.
I always had to help at home.

Personal vs. Impersonal Obligation

There is a significant difference between a specific person having to do something and a general necessity.

Personal Obligation (): Used when a specific subject (I, you, we, Juan, etc.) is obliged to perform an action.

Juan tiene que comer más verduras.
Juan has to eat more vegetables.

Impersonal Obligation (): Used to express general necessity, translating to one must, it is necessary to, or a general you have to. This is formed using (from the verb ) + + infinitive. It does not refer to a specific person.

Hay que reciclar el plástico.
One must recycle plastic. (It is necessary to recycle plastic.)
Para conducir, hay que tener carné.
To drive, one has to have a license.

Alternative: Deber

While expresses a strong necessity or external obligation (often imposed by circumstances), the verb followed by an infinitive is used to express must or should. often implies a moral obligation or duty, rather than a forced necessity, though they are sometimes used interchangeably in casual speech. Unlike , is not followed by the connector .

Debes llamar a tu abuela.
You must call your grandmother. (Moral duty)
Tienes que llamar a tu jefe.
You have to call your boss. (Necessity/Work obligation)

In the course

Sentences from Lingora’s European Spanish course

17 of the course's 500 sentences use this, the first in lesson 8. A few of them, with the words “Expressing 'have to'” is about in bold:

Tengo que ir en bici hasta que me compre un coche nuevo.
I have to ride my bike until I get a new car.
Lesson 301
Tengo que limpiar el baño. Está muy sucio.
I need to clean the toilet. It is too dirty.
Lesson 469

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