Part 1 · Start with the title
What do I have to take?
A familiar verb, with a new meaning.
What do I have to take with me?
Something I have
Tengo un pasaporte.
I have a passport.
Something I have to do
Tengo que llevar el pasaporte.
I have to take my passport with me.
Part 2 · How the structure works
Tener que + infinitive
Use this structure to say what someone has to do.
have to + verb
Change tener.
Choose the form that matches the subject.
tengo · tienes · tiene…
Keep que.
Always include this word in the structure.
que
Use an infinitive.
The next verb stays in its basic form.
estudiar · comer · escribir
Look at the three parts
Tengo que estudiar español.
I have to study Spanish.
Part 2 · The subject changes
Change tener, keep que estudiar
Choose a subject. Watch the blue part change.
You can leave out the subject pronoun when it is clear who you mean.
| SUBJECT | TENER | QUE | INFINITIVE |
|---|---|---|---|
| yo | tengo | que | estudiar |
| tú | tienes | que | estudiar |
| él / ella / usted | tiene | que | estudiar |
| nosotros / nosotras | tenemos | que | estudiar |
| vosotros / vosotras | tenéis | que | estudiar |
| ellos / ellas / ustedes | tienen | que | estudiar |
Part 2 · The action changes
Keep the next verb in the infinitive
An infinitive is the basic form of a verb. It ends in -ar, -er or -ir.
Choose a different action
Dashed underline: the action can change. The verb stays in the infinitive.
Three infinitive endings
Two things to remember
Click each example to see the correction.
INCORRECTTengo estudiar.
Tengo que estudiar.
Remember que.
INCORRECTTengo que estudio.
Tengo que estudiar.
Use estudiar, the infinitive.