[Tener (conjugated)] + que + [infinitive]: The Obligation Chunk You'll Use Every Day

The Chunk: [Tener (conjugated)] + que + [infinitive]

Tener que + infinitive is one of the most essential chunks in Spanish. It means "to have to do something" and appears in conversation constantly.

The beauty of this chunk is its simplicity:

You conjugate tener to match the person, add que, and then the infinitive of whatever action you're talking about. That's it.

Why This Chunk Is Critical

• High Frequency: You'll hear tengo que, tienes que, tenemos que dozens of times a day in Spanish conversation.
• Low Processing Load: Once you learn the pattern, it's a single retrieval – you don't build it word by word.
• Incredible Utility: Use it for obligations, advice, tasks, and everyday responsibilities.

Examples Across Different Subjects

Here's the chunk in action with all the key conjugations of tener:

Building Your Own Chunks

Once you know the pattern, you can plug in any infinitive to create a huge range of expressions:

Key Rules for This Chunk

• Tener is conjugated to match the person (yo → tengo, tú → tienes, etc.).
• Que is always added – it's the connector that links the obligation to the action.
• The second verb is always in the infinitive – never conjugated.

Common Chunks with Tener que

Here are some high‑frequency chunks that use this pattern:

• Tengo que irme. — I have to go (leave).
• Tienes que ver esto. — You have to see this.
• Tenemos que hablar. — We have to talk.
• Tiene que ser así. — It has to be this way.
• ¿Tienes que hacer algo? — Do you have to do something?

Why This Matters for Your Fluency

Treating Tener que + infinitive as a single chunk rather than assembling it from rules is exactly how native speakers use it. You'll hear this pattern constantly – and once you internalise it, you'll use it constantly too.