# Tener que: personal obligation

> id: usage.obligation-tener-que · category: usage · depth: standard · levels: A2 · review: internally_reviewed

**Summary.** Tener que + infinitive is the everyday 'have to': tengo que renovar el carnet. Past: tuve que (and did) vs tenía que (was supposed to).

The default obligation in speech, personal and concrete: tenés que firmar acá, tenemos que salir ya. Negated = don't have to (not mustn't): no tenés que venir si no querés.

Preterite tuve que implies it happened (tuve que esperar dos horas); imperfect tenía que leaves it open (tenía que llamar y me olvidé).

This is the default 'have to' of speech, personal and concrete. Watch two traps: negated, no tenés que venir means 'you don't have to' (not 'you mustn't'); and the past splits by aspect — preterite tuve que implies it actually happened (tuve que esperar dos horas), while imperfect tenía que leaves it open (tenía que llamar y me olvidé).

## Examples
- Tengo que estar en el consulado a las ocho. — I have to be at the consulate at eight.
- Tuvimos que cambiar de plan. — We had to change plans.
- Tuve que esperar dos horas, pero al final firmé. — I had to wait two hours, but I signed in the end.

Related: usage.obligation-hay-que, usage.obligation-deber

License: CC BY-SA 4.0 — Spanish Rules Library — spanishruleslibrary.com