Have to, Should, and Must in Spanish: tener que, deber, hay que (A2)

Ever need to say “I have to work” or “You should call your mom”? Spanish has three super-useful tools for obligation: tener que, deber, and hay que. In this A2-friendly guide, you’ll learn what each one means, when to use them, and how they sound in real life. We’ll practice with short exercises so the phrases stick.

The Big Three: tener que, deber, hay que

In everyday Spanish, you’ll hear these a lot:

  • tener que + infinitive = “to have to” (a personal, concrete obligation)
  • deber + infinitive = “should/must” (advice or moral/strong duty; often softer than tener que)
  • hay que + infinitive = “one must/it’s necessary to” (impersonal; no subject)

Think of them like this:

  • Tengo que estudiar. = I have to study (it’s necessary for me).
  • Debes descansar. = You should rest (advice; good idea).
  • Hay que reciclar. = One must recycle / We should recycle (general rule).
Spanish
Tengo que trabajar mañana.
I have to work tomorrow.
Spanish
Debes beber más agua.
You should drink more water.
Spanish
Hay que llegar temprano.
You have to arrive early / One must arrive early.
hay impersonal form of haber (there is/one must) que connector ‘to’ before an infinitive

Quick meanings to remember

  • tener que = have to (strong, specific to a person)
  • deber = should (advice); sometimes “must” (formal/strong duty)
  • hay que = it’s necessary to / one must (no subject)

Mini vocab you’ll use

Here are key words you’ll combine with the structures above.

tener que
to have to
phrase
Tengo que cocinar esta noche.
I have to cook tonight.
deber
should / must
verb
Debes practicar cada día.
You should practice every day.
hay que
one must / it’s necessary to
phrase
Hay que respetar las normas.
One must respect the rules.
descansar
to rest
verb
Debo descansar el fin de semana.
I must rest on the weekend.

How to form them (A2-friendly)

  • tener que + infinitive: conjugate tener for the person, add que, then the action verb.
    • Yo tengo que estudiar.
    • Nosotros tenemos que limpiar.
  • deber + infinitive: conjugate deber, then the action verb.
    • Tú debes comer bien.
    • Ella debe ahorrar dinero.
  • hay que + infinitive: always “hay que,” because it’s impersonal.
    • Hay que usar mascarilla.

Notice: With hay que, there is NO subject (not “Yo hay que…”).

Yo que estudiar para el examen.

que reciclar más en la oficina.

Tener (present) at a glance

Because tener que depends on the verb tener, here’s the present tense.

tener presente Irregular
Pronoun Conjugation
yo tengo
tú tienes
él/ella/usted tiene
nosotros/as tenemos
vosotros/as tenéis
ellos/ellas/ustedes tienen

Try it: Which one fits?

Choose the best option for each situation.

🧠 Obligation check

Make the sentence: tener que

Put the words in the right order to say “I have to buy bread.”

🔠 Put the words in order

Start with the conjugated verb for “yo”

More examples in context

Read and feel the difference. Then say them out loud.

  • “Tengo que llamar a mi abuela.” = I have to call my grandma.
  • “Debes llamar a tu abuela.” = You should call your grandma.
  • “Hay que llamar a los clientes.” = One must call the clients (general task).
Spanish
Debes estudiar un poco cada día.
You should study a little every day.
Spanish
Tenemos que limpiar la cocina.
We have to clean the kitchen.
Spanish
Hay que usar casco en la obra.
You must wear a helmet at the construction site.

Mini-dialogue practice (order the conversation)

Reorder the lines to make a logical conversation about obligations.

💬 ¿Qué tenemos que hacer hoy?

Common corrections

These are mistakes A2 learners often make. Fix them early!

Yo hay que estudiar esta noche. → Tengo que estudiar esta noche. Use tener que for personal obligation. “Hay que” has no subject. Debes de llamar a tu hermana (meaning: you should call). → Debes llamar a tu hermana. “Deber de” often expresses probability (he must be...). For advice, use “deber” without “de.”

Cultural note: how strong is it?

In many Spanish-speaking contexts:

  • tener que sounds firm, practical, and common for daily obligations: “Tengo que irme.”
  • deber can sound like advice (“Debes descansar”) or strong duty in formal tone (“Los ciudadanos deben respetar la ley”). To soften advice, people often say “Deberías…” or use phrases like “Es mejor…” or “Te conviene…”.
  • hay que is often used for rules or shared tasks: “Hay que traer comida para la fiesta.” It feels less personal—like “we should/one must.”

If you want to be polite: “Deberías…” (You should…) or “Sería bueno…” (It would be good…). For a strong, no-choice obligation, go with “tener que.”

Quick practice: mix and match

Try to say these in Spanish (think of the structure you need):

  • I have to wake up early. = Tengo que despertarme temprano.
  • You should save money. = Debes ahorrar dinero.
  • One must follow the instructions. = Hay que seguir las instrucciones.
  • We have to take the bus. = Tenemos que tomar el autobús.

Say them out loud. Focus on the verb after que or after deber: it’s always an infinitive (estudiar, comer, llegar…).

Tú llegar a tiempo. (advice)

Wrap-up

  • tener que = personal “have to”
  • deber = “should” (advice) or “must” (formal duty)
  • hay que = “one must / it’s necessary to” (impersonal)

Keep listening for these in daily speech. Short, real sentences will help:

  • “Tengo que salir.”
  • “Debes descansar.”
  • “Hay que esperar.”

You’ve got this—¡sí se puede! Practice a little cada día, and these structures will feel natural.