Deber, tener que, hay que, haber de, necesitar. Five levels from strong duty to simple need.
| Verb | Strength | Type | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| hay que | Strong | Impersonal (general rule) | Hay que estudiar. (One must study.) |
| tener que | Strong | Personal (specific obligation) | Tengo que ir. (I have to go.) |
| deber | Medium-strong | Moral duty / should | Debes ser honesto. (You should be honest.) |
| deber de | Probability | Supposition | Debe de estar en casa. (He must be at home.) |
| haber de | Formal | Formal obligation | Has de saber que... (You should know that...) |
| necesitar | Need | Personal need | Necesito dormir. (I need to sleep.) |
Hay que practicar todos los días. (One must practice every day.)
Hay que tener paciencia. (One must have patience.)
Hay que respetar las reglas. (Rules must be respected.)
NEVER: Han que or Hemos que — always hay que
Tengo que trabajar mañana. (I have to work tomorrow.)
Tienes que llamar al médico. (You have to call the doctor.)
Tuvimos que esperar dos horas. (We had to wait two hours.)
The strongest personal obligation — not optional.
Debes estudiar más. (You should study more.)
Debemos ayudar a los demás. (We should help others.)
No deberías hacer eso. (You shouldn't do that. — conditional = softer)
Debes estudiar. = You should study. (obligation)
Debe de estar en casa. = He must be (probably is) at home. (guess)
In practice, many speakers use "deber" for both. But formally, "deber de" = guess.
| Present | Preterite | Imperfect |
|---|---|---|
| Tengo que ir. (I have to go.) | Tuve que ir. (I had to go. — and did.) | Tenía que ir. (I had to go. — but maybe didn't.) |
| Debo hacerlo. (I should do it.) | Debí hacerlo. (I should have done it. — but didn't.) | Debía hacerlo. (I was supposed to do it.) |
Debería haber estudiado. (I should have studied.)
Deberías haber llamado. (You should have called.)
Also: Tendrías que haber venido. (You should have come.)
1. _____ estudiar todos los días. (one must — impersonal)
2. _____ ir al médico. (I have to — personal, strong)
3. _____ ser honesto. (You should — moral)
4. _____ estar en casa. (He must be — probability)
5. No _____ hacer eso. (You shouldn't — soft advice)
6. _____ haber estudiado. (I should have)
7. Tuve que ir = I had to go and _____.
8. Tenía que ir = I had to go but _____.
9. Hay que NEVER changes to _____.
10. _____ dormir más. (I need to — basic need)
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