Manzanillo Spanish Tip #5 - Tener to Express Obligation

Today’s Manzanillo Spanish lesson is brought to you by Tyson Scott our local friendly (and favorite) Spanish teacher. He offers classes so you can Learn Spanish In Manzanillo.

Tener is a Spanish verb meaning “to have.” We already know that we can use tener to show possession:

Tengo una cama en mi cuarto - I have a bed in my bedroom

¿Cuántos carros tienes? - How many cars do you have?

We can also use Tener to show obligation, to say that someone has to do something. What you will want to remember about using Tener this way is to always follow the verb with que:

Tengo que lavar el perro hoy - I have to wash the dog today

A: ¿Qué vas a hacer hoy? - What are you going to do today?
B: Nada. Tengo que trabajar - Nothing. I have to work.

Notice that the que is not the interrogative and does not have an accent.

Infinitive Spanish Verbs

The infinitive is a verb tense that is not conjugated. In English our infinitives are: to work, to see, to ride, ect.. In Spanish, infinitives have three endings –ar / -er / -ir. The verb that follows que is always in the infinitive.

Francisco tiene que estudiar - Francisco has to study

So when using the verb Tener in Spanish, you can use it to indicate possession or obligation.

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