To say must in Spanish, use tener que plus an infinitive for everyday obligation (tengo que trabajar, I must work), deber for duty and formal rules (debes decir la verdad), and hay que when nobody in particular is the subject (hay que esperar). For the must of deduction, use debe de plus infinitive or the future tense: estará cansado.
must = tener que / deber / hay que + infinitive- Express obligation: tener que / deber
- Must vs should
- Strong vs soft obligation
How do you say must in Spanish? It depends on the kind of "must." Everyday obligation is tener que + infinitive: Tengo que trabajar (I must work). Moral or formal obligation is deber + infinitive: Debes decir la verdad (You must tell the truth). Impersonal obligation is hay que: Hay que comer (One must eat). And the "must" of deduction ("she must be tired") is debe de estar or the future tense.
English uses "must" for all four. Spanish picks the form that matches the source of the pressure — a circumstance, a duty, a general rule, or a guess — and the video above shows how that sounds in real speech.
The big pictureWhen to use each "must": obligation vs deduction
- Tener que — practical, everyday necessity. A schedule, a deadline, a rule at work.Tengo que renovar la visa. (I must renew my visa.) This is the most common "must" in speech.
- Deber — duty, morality, formal rules. The pressure comes from what is right or from an authority. Los pasajeros deben abrocharse el cinturón. (Passengers must fasten their seat belts.)
- Hay que — impersonal, "one must." No subject: a general truth or a group task. Hay que reservar con antelación. (You must / one must book in advance.)
- Deber de / future — deduction. Not obligation, but a logical guess. Debe de ser tarde. (It must be late.)
The formsTener que, deber and hay que in the present tense
All three obligation forms are followed by an infinitive. Only the first verb conjugates.
| Subject | TENER QUE + inf. | DEBER + inf. | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| yo | tengo que | debo | Tengo que madrugar mañana. — I must get up early tomorrow. |
| tú | tienes que | debes | Debes avisar si no vienes. — You must let us know if you're not coming. |
| él / ella / usted | tiene que | debe | Usted tiene que firmar aquí. — You must sign here. |
| nosotros / nosotras | tenemos que | debemos | Debemos cuidar el agua. — We must take care of water. |
| vosotros / vosotras (Spain) | tenéis que | debéis | Tenéis que ver Sevilla. — You must see Seville. |
| ellos / ellas / ustedes | tienen que | deben | Los niños deben ir acompañados. — Children must be accompanied. |
| impersonal (one / you / we) | hay que | — | Hay que llegar antes de las nueve. — You must arrive before nine. |
Hay que never changes. Every tense of tener is in my tener conjugation guide.
"Must not" vs "don't have to"
This is the trap. No tienes que means "you don't have to" — no obligation. To forbid, use no debes, no puedes or no se puede: No debes conducir cansado. (You must not drive tired.)
Past and future: tuve que, tenía que, tendré que
Tener que conjugates in every tense. Tuve que cancelar — I had to cancel (and I did). Tenía que cancelar — I was supposed to cancel (context decides whether I did). Tendré que cancelar — I will have to cancel.
The "must" of deduction: debe de + infinitive and the future of probability
"He must be at work" is not an order. Spanish has two ways to make that guess:
- Deber de + infinitive — Debe de estar en el trabajo. (He must be at work.) The de marks deduction; many natives drop it in speech, so Debe estar en el trabajo is also heard.
- The future tense — Estará en el trabajo. (He must be at work / He's probably at work.) A guess about the present, in the future tense.
- The future perfect for "must have" — Habrá salido ya. (She must have left already.) Or Debe de haber salido. I explain this use of habrá + participle in the Spanish future perfect lesson.
In real lifeMust in Spanish: examples from travel, work and family
If you only remember one form, make it tener que. It is what natives use for most everyday "musts," it works in every tense, and it never sounds preachy. Bring in deber for rules and what is right, and hay que when there is no particular person to blame.
From the classroomCommon mistakes English speakers make with "must"
- Using no tener que for "must not." No tienes que tocar eso means "you don't need to touch that." For a prohibition say No debes tocar eso or No puedes tocar eso.
- Giving hay que a subject. Yo hay que practicar is impossible; hay que is impersonal. Either drop the subject (Hay que practicar) or switch verbs (Yo tengo que practicar).
- Translating deduction with tener que. Tiene que ser tarde is heard, but the natural forms for "it must be late" are Debe de ser tarde or Será tarde.
- Forgetting the que. Tengo trabajar is not Spanish. It is tengo que trabajar — while deber takes no que: debo trabajar.
- Using debería when you mean must. Deberías pagar la multa is "you should pay the fine," friendly advice. If it is mandatory, Tienes que pagar la multa.
Don't mix them upMust vs should in Spanish
The dividing line is choice. "Must" leaves none — tienes que, debes, hay que. "Should" leaves the door open — deberías, the conditional. Same verb, different tense, different strength: hearing Debes descansar from a doctor is an instruction; Deberías descansar from a friend is a suggestion.
A quick test: if you can add "or else" to the English sentence and it still sounds right, you want a "must" form. If "or else" sounds too dramatic, use the softer forms in my guide to should in Spanish. And when a "must" is really a guess, the Spanish future tense is often the most native-sounding option.
Tener que, deber, hay que and debería are one system, and you can see how they fit together in my overview of Spanish modal verbs.
PracticeQuick quiz: must in spanish
Six questions from the lesson. Answer in your head, then open to check.
