46
Expressing obligation and duty
This chapter deals with the ideas of obligation and duty and the verbs and expressions
associated with them.46.1 Expressing obligation and duty with regard to oneself
and others
To express obligation or duty with regard to oneself and others, Spanish uses the
following verbs, all followed by infinitives:46.1.1 Tener que + infinitive
Tener que, ‘to have to’, is by far the most frequent verb used in the expression of
obligation or duty and it may be used for present, past or future reference. Its use
usually carries with it the notion that the obligation involved stems from outside the
speaker himself, that is, from external circumstances.Tengo que salir.
I have to go out.No tengo que hacerlo.
I don’t have to do it.
Tendremos que trabajar.
We’ll have to work.Tuvimos que quedarnos en casa.
We had to stay at home.
No tenías que decírselo/habérselo dicho.
You should not have told him/her.21.5 (p. 102)
46.1.2 Deber+ infinitive
Deber, ‘to have to’, ‘must’, is used when the obligation is seen as stemming from the
speaker himself, as a kind of moral obligation. In general terms, however, the
construction with deber is much less frequent than the one with tener que, and it is
generally seen as implying strong obligation. Deber is found in a range of verb forms,
including the present, future, preterite, conditional, imperfect indicative and imperfect