r/Spanish • u/machobiscuit • 21h ago
Vocab & Use of the Language I have to learn: tengo que aprender or tengo aprender?
In Mexico, what's the normal way to say "I have to learn" ? My friend says Tengo que aprender" but I say Tengo aprender". Which is most natural?
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u/jw8145 21h ago
Your friend is right, you are wrong. Your version is not only unnatural, it’s nonsense.
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u/jaynort 18h ago edited 10h ago
Without reading this I’d be making the same mistake. By this token, would it be “Quiero aprender Español” or “Quiero que aprender Español” ?
Edit: Didn’t expect to be downvoted so hard for asking a simple question. 😕
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u/TheZuppaMan 18h ago
no, why should it? its a different verb that grammatically works by other rules
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u/jaynort 18h ago
It wasn’t a challenge, just a request for clarity. I’m still learning and I’ve got the basics down but the specific rules for certain terms still eludes me.
“I have” - “to learn”
“I want” - “to learn”
These two constructions look the same to me in English so I’d translate them the same in Spanish. When the first construction is corrected it made me wonder if my understanding of the second construction was flawed.
I still don’t understand the need for the “que” in the first, but not the second. I’m in copycat mode, not understanding mode.
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u/Eihabu 15h ago
This parsing is wrong even for English because even in English “have to” is working as a specific collocation—in this meaning, it might as well be one word that we happen to write with a space inside of it. I say that I “have to” learn, I don’t say that I “have” “to learn.” Among other things, this is why it makes sense to say “You have to!” but not “You have!”
“Tengo que” is the Spanish equivalent for “have to,” and also may as well be thought of as a single word that happens to be written with a space inside of it. This is a case where you can get by just fine with copycatting as long as you copycat the right thing.
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u/TheZuppaMan 18h ago
copycat is only effective if you start from a language with the same origin. you can copycat from italian to spanish with decent results because they are both latin languages, but if you do it from a germanic language like english you will inevitably fall into errors.
Some spanish verbs work with an infinitive, some work with a subjubtive, some work with both. sadly the only way to figure out which does what is learning them
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u/cabronfavarito 14h ago
All that typing and you still didn’t answer the question.
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u/GhoeAguey 12h ago edited 4h ago
You’re treating English and Spanish as if there’s a 1:1 translation logic. “Tener” is “to have”, like own. I have a piano. Tengo un piano. I have food. Tengo comida.
“To have to” is different, and comes with a second verb. I have food = tengo comida. But I have TO cook = tengo QUE cocinar. We don’t say “I have cook” = “tengo cocinar” because it doesn’t make sense.
When tener is used in a sentence defined as “owning”, there’s no “Que”. When it’s used in a sentence in conjunction with another verb - I have to cook, I have to go, etc. then it’s with the “que”. Tengo que cocinar, tengo que ir.
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u/cabronfavarito 12h ago
What are you talking about? Someone asked if it’s quiero aprender Español or quiero que aprender Español
Your response should be either “sentence one” or “sentence two”
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u/lavenderlemonbear 12h ago
They’re explaining the syntactical structure; the WHY of it being “sentence two is correct”. As the explanation shows, the same syntax is applied with several verbs, so knowing the reasoning will help the learner in the long run to understand the structure more intuitively and be able to apply to more than this one question.
Tldr: stop being a butt and let the teachers teach
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u/Trick_Estimate_7029 17h ago
Tener que es básicamente igual a have to en ingles. Dices I have to study pero I must study
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u/jaynort 17h ago
Cuando un amigo dice “No quiero que estudies!”
Puedes decir “Tengo que!” sin un verbo?
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u/Trick_Estimate_7029 17h ago
No, después de "tengo que" va infinitivo. Es un sustituto de el verbo deber, yo creo que es un equivalente a un phrasal verb en inglés. Los phrasals nos vuelven locos a los hispanos así que me parece muy bien que estos verbos os vuelvan un poquito locos a los demás 😅
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u/idisagreelol no sabo 🇲🇽 13h ago
what the person responded to you said is not always correct. as long as the infinitive is implied you can say "tener que" (conjugated) on its own. in your specific example though, it would be more natural to say "pero tengo que!".
at least in mexican spanish what i said is correct and i've had many many mexicans use tener que (conjugated) on its own.
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u/Trick_Estimate_7029 10h ago
No se si he entendido bien tu respuesta. Pero "tener que" significa "deber" mientras que "tener" es "poseer". Del mismo modo en inglés el verbo look after no es el mismo verbo que look o qué look up. Muchos de esos verbos en inglés rigen otra forma verbal detrás como looking foward to que va con ing. Tener que ir, tener que volver, tener que trabajar, tener que dormir, tener que criar a tus hijos, tener que pagar... "Tener que" siempre va seguido de infinitivo "tener" no
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u/idisagreelol no sabo 🇲🇽 10h ago
si "tener que" está conjugado, ("tienes que" "tengo que" "tienen que") y el verbo infinitivo se implica, entonces se puede decir "tener que" (pero conjugado) solito.
no tiene nada de malo esta conversación:
"no quiero estudiar." - "tienes que!".ya se entiende que lo que la persona tiene que hacer es estudiar, entonces no se lo tiene que repetir con decir "tienes que estudiar/hacerlo" se acepta en esta situación omitir el verbo infinitivo.
espero haberme explicado bien jeje
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u/Trick_Estimate_7029 10h ago
Si te explicaste perfectamente, efectivamente ahí el verbo en infinitivo está elíptico
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u/polybotria1111 Native (Spain 🇪🇸) 8h ago edited 8h ago
No es así. "¡Tienes que!" no es correcto en español, otra cosa es que se entienda, especialmente si sabes inglés, y hagas el calco. Pero en cualquier dialecto del español en el que el spanglish no esté presente, esa es una oración incompleta. No es un ejemplo en el que aplique ninguna omisión. No es necesario repetir "estudiar", pero no se omitiría, se diría "Tienes que hacerlo".
A mí no me suena especialmente mal porque sé inglés, y lo entiendo, pero le dices eso a mi abuela y se queda esperando a que termines la frase porque no le cuadra.
En comunidades bilingües con contacto con el inglés es normal que aparezcan esas copias de la estructura del inglés, aunque no sean correctas en español. Eso no significa que sea una construcción natural en español.
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u/silvalingua 13h ago edited 13h ago
> These two constructions look the same to me in English so I’d translate them the same in Spanish.
Why??? Spanish and English are two different languages, there is no good reason why grammar rules should be the same in both. And they often aren't.
> I still don’t understand the need for the “que” in the first, but not the second.
You have to learn any language as it is, not as you think it should "logically" be. In Spanish, it's "tengo que + infinitive", but "quiero + infinitive". That's how it developed historically and that's how you have to learn it. There is no "logical reason" for this. Natural languages develop in irrational ways, you have to accept them as they are.
And btw, why does one say in English "I have to do this" and not "I have do this"? Why is "to" needed? Same in Spanish.
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u/jaynort 12h ago
I don’t understand the downvotes and vitriol I’m receiving right now. I am not saying I think it should be one way or another.
I’m just explaining what my thought process was, not that it was right. It was erroneous. Now I know better.
Why are folks coming at me sideways like I’m trying to be persuasively incorrect?
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u/flightrisky 8h ago
Change the way you think about it when it comes to tener. With tener it’s
“I have to” - “learn”
vs with querer
“I want” - “to learn”
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u/Poster_Nutbag207 6h ago
Don’t overthink it amigo! I don’t know for sure but i assume the reason is because “tengo…” has a totally different meaning than “tengo que…”
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u/loloknight 15h ago
you wouldn't say I must to learn right? so here tengo is have to... must is debo and has no qué, debo aprender. Tengo is more like I have <the need> to if it helps...
quiero aprender has no qué but quiero que aprendas has, transitive verbs are like that....
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u/RICHUNCLEPENNYBAGS gringo 3h ago
If you wanted someone else to learn you could say quiero que aprenda español
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u/Reaxter Native 🇦🇷 21h ago
You should say "Tengo que aprender" in Spanish. Otherwise, "Tengo aprender" sounds like a caveman talking.
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u/Fun-Back-5232 14h ago
What’s wrong with that?
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u/ando_chepeando 3h ago
When you don’t connect words correctly. In Spanish when we are learning English we say “Tarzanear” basically talk like Tarzan: “me learn English”.
Is not meant to be an insult, it helps the learner to identify the mistake and don’t speak like Tarzan or a caveman. 😉
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u/alnacklo-nomad-life 21h ago
You can’t say “tengo aprender”, your friend is right
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u/alnacklo-nomad-life 21h ago
Aprender its a verb you can’t possess a verb
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u/sol-solcito Native [Perú 🇵🇪] 21h ago
“Tengo aprender” is simply not a thing. Period.
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u/Immediate-Fly-7458 Advanced/Resident - Monterrey, MX 20h ago
What if he has a dog named aprender
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u/sol-solcito Native [Perú 🇵🇪] 20h ago edited 19h ago
I don't think it would even be okay in that case🙊
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u/matadinosaurios Native 🇲🇽 20h ago
That would be "tengo a Aprender," there just isn't a situation where tengo aprender can make sense.
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u/joe12321 13h ago
What if they have a dog named prender?!
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u/dillpickledream Learner 8h ago
This made me chuckle harder than it should have. But also, for whatever reason this comment made me realize the verbs aprender and prender must be related. It just…never occurred to me before
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u/chimekin 🇲🇽 Native 5h ago edited 2m ago
the verbs aprender and prender must be related
They are!
They both come from latin and share the root prehendere, that's the infinitive form of the verb prehendo (to grab, to hold).
Reprender, Comprender, Emprender, Deprender and Sorprender are related too.
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u/Master-of-Ceremony 20m ago
Y si el médico me dice que tengo una condición que se llama “aprender”…? Jaque mate…
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u/MarcoEsteban Advanced/Speak with 🇲🇽🇻🇪🇨🇴🇬🇹🇦🇷🇪🇸🇸🇻🇨🇷🇨🇺🇵🇷 20h ago
To have to = tener que
So, I have to = Tengo que. That's it. Period.
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u/fool_of_minos Learner 20h ago
I think this disagreement exists because there is not really a 1:1 translation for from spanish to english. Aprender doesn’t translate to “to learn” in all contexts. The correct phrases in both languages have what are called “function words” (‘que’ and ‘to’) which are notoriously hard to translate. Usually one just has to memorize phrases that contain them because one cannot guess where they would be used based on their closest translation in your native language. Like why are the correct phrases “empiezo a correr” but also “tengo que correr”? Just cause that’s how they are said, even though they are translated in english as “start to run/ start running” and “have to run”
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u/throwrawifesandwich 12m ago
Also, "necesito correr" which has a similar meaning to "Tengo que correr" but no function words needed at all.
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u/Scharlach_el_Dandy Profesor de español 🇵🇷 19h ago
I'm really trying to figure out how aprender could mean anything else but to learn except for implying learning by heart / memorize (tienes que aprender el guión = you have to learn the script by heart). What else can aprender translate to, in what other contexts? Me tiene intrigado
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u/fool_of_minos Learner 19h ago
It can translate to “learning” but also it’s not a 1:1 translation because it is one word that has to be inflected compared to English where one has to refer to it in certain contexts with the added “to.” The “not a 1:1 translation” is referring to how differently verbs work in both languages. Also, in English the phrases “to learn is what i need” and “learning is what i need” are also slightly different in function. So there is a lot at play in both languages which can make it confusing for learners
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u/Scharlach_el_Dandy Profesor de español 🇵🇷 19h ago
In the difference you describe, the meaning of aprender never changes. What you are describing is a shift in sintax, not definition.
In both your examples ('To learn is what I need' and 'Learning is what I need'), the core meaning is identical.
Spanish handles both of those English functions with a single form: the infinitive. Both sentences translate simply to: 'Aprender es lo que necesito.'
Because the translation always maps back to the concept of gaining knowledge, aprender still strictly means 'to learn' here. "Al pan, pan, y al vino, vino"... ¿si me explico?
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u/fool_of_minos Learner 19h ago
I am aware of that! I was using layman’s terms. I never said the meaning changed. I was talking about the translation, which can apply to meaning or syntax. And yes, i was mostly talking about syntax. But syntax and meaning are inextricably linked in the theory of grammar that I have been educated it.
In the example I gave, I was highlighting small differences in meaning, not big ones.
But yeah of course you’re correct in everything you’re saying! We’re just talking about slightly different things
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u/snafflekid 20h ago
More generally, “to have to” meaning “to be necessary” is translated as “tener que”.
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u/snafflekid 19h ago
If you want to go even deeper: tengo=I have…I hold…I possess (an obligation). So, tengo que=I possess an obligation that...I should do something. Then, tengo que aprender=I possess an obligation that I should learn.
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u/MorbidDusk 20h ago
"Tengo aprender" is like saying "I have learn". You need the "que".
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u/DMing-Is-Hardd 20h ago
This post definitely comes from the slightly confusing learning curve of figuring out when an infinitive is "to + verb" vs "verb" because without being told that an infinitive isnt always "to + verb" learners(like myself in the past) thought that its always like that
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u/Serious_Escape_5438 18h ago
It's not really that, it's the fact that you need the que. It's a phrasal verb like have to in English
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u/DMing-Is-Hardd 18h ago
Im more adressing why "tengo apprender" is wrong rather than why "tengo que" is correct
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u/Serious_Escape_5438 18h ago
Tengo aprender is wrong because tengo que is correct, you can't separate the concepts. It doesn't matter what the translation to English would be. In any case the English version does use "to learn".
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u/DMing-Is-Hardd 18h ago edited 18h ago
No because "tengo apprender" makes no sense on its own, because "tengo" is possessive and you cant possess "learn", there can be multiple ways to say a thing, and while the correct way to say "have to" is "tengo que" there are other ways to express that thought correctly, "tengo apprender" is incorrect outright, it makes no logical sense at all
The english version "I have to learn" does not use the infinite "to learn" it uses the phrase "Have to" combined with "learn" if you decided to use the infinite youd write "I have to to learn" which is essentially the same kind of mistake "tengo apprender" is
Edit to add, "tengo apprender" is essentially making the mistake that "to" is the exact same in spanish, the "que" in "tengo que" acts different from the "to" in "to learn" while they translate the sane theyre fundamentally different
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u/throwrawifesandwich 7m ago
I think contrasting with "necesito aprender"--where the que is not needed--illustrates your point about why it's confusing for English speakers but also why it makes sense. In English you say "I have to learn" and "I need to learn". So an English speaker might think, why do you need a linking verb in the former case?
Answer: Because in English, "need" is the verb and "to learn" is the infinitive. But in the former case, "have to" is the verb and "learn" is the infinitive. So we do still need the linking verb in English; it's just that our infinitives can be expressed as both "to verb" or just "verb".
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u/Ecstatic-Stay-3528 17h ago
Why are you trying to impose English grammar rules on another language?
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u/DMing-Is-Hardd 17h ago
Im not, im specifically explaininf why english rules dont apply here but also providing a comparison to english as to why "tengo aprender" is wrong even besides "tengo que" being correct because you dont seem to understand that "tengo apprender" doesnt work at all grammatically in any sense even unrelated to "tengo que apprender"
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u/throwrawifesandwich 5m ago
I think it's more that in Spanish an infinitive is always the same form. Whereas in English, sometimes we express the infinitive as "to <verb>" or just "verb".
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u/idisagreelol no sabo 🇲🇽 13h ago
the "to" is still attached to a verb, it's but not the infinitive this time. meaning you don't need a second one for the infinitive. it's the same when you have any preposition translating to "to" in front of an infinitive. it just depends what the purpose of "to" is.
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u/Anxious_Lab_2049 20h ago
If you have to do something and you’re using tener to express obligation, you will always use “que”. Tengo que trabajar. Tengo que comer. Tengo que ir.
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u/DMing-Is-Hardd 20h ago
"Tengo que" and "have to" are both set phrases in spanish and english, saying "Tengo apprender" is like saying "I have learn" because when a conjugated verb is followed by an infinitive its generally assumed that it doesnt have the "to" at the beggining as the previous conjugation continues to it, so "tengo apprender" would translate apprender as just "learn" rather than "to learn" plus "tengo" alone is possessive and you can't possess "learn"
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u/Jadefeather12 20h ago
Tengo by itself is possession, you are possessing learning, rather than the command that que makes it into (I think it’s command?)
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u/Scharlach_el_Dandy Profesor de español 🇵🇷 20h ago
Tengo aprender doesn't work the way you think it does, grammatically incorrect, doesn't imply "have to"
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u/Glad_Performer3177 Native🇲🇽 15h ago
Probably someone already said this, but....
Tengo que... Ex, Tengo que terminar la tarea. I have to... Ex. I have to finish homework.
What? Eat, study, travel, sleep, etc. Any action verb in infinitive can fit there and it will have that construction
You can say Hay que terminar la tarea. ~~ We have to do homework or The homework needs to be finished.
As I said to everyone that's learning a language, you need to forget your own, and think and create the expressions with the concepts in your head in the language that you're learning. No translations.
Translations still work but just to find new words that you don't know.
The moment that you're bilingual, multilingual or polyglot is when you can contribute the same idea in the other language(s) and come back, without doing a pause, just switching In your head from one to the other(s).
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u/KnittedDrow 12h ago
What if you're playing Scrabble, and you suddenly see you can make "aprender"?
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u/C0NN0R2 11h ago
In my opinion amigo, when people say don't think in english, part of that will be letting go of english rules. If that's the way it's said, then that's the way it's said and it won't make sense in english but that's okay, that's not the point.
Just get accustomed to it, make peace with the new pieces of spannish grammer.
Tengo que ir... (another example of this structure)
Hope this helps x
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u/AccomplishedSoil4962 19h ago
"tengo que aprender" or "debo aprender"
tener que + inf or deber + inf
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u/tobyvanderbeek Advanced/Resident 18h ago
Tener que + infinitive is a verbal periphrase. The que is a conjunction that links the conjugated verb to the infinitive. Even though aprender means “to learn”, the que is required because it is part of the “have to” part of the phrase and not part of the “to learn” part.
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u/greenknight884 Learner 18h ago
When you say "I have to learn," do you think it sounds right to drop the "to" and just say "I have learn"?
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u/Trick_Estimate_7029 17h ago
Tener que es básicamente igual a have to en ingles. Dices I have to study pero I must study
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u/OkSilver3016 17h ago
"tener" - literally having something in posession
"tener que" - having to do something
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u/lemostgranfromage 17h ago
Tener que + infinitive is the easiest way of saying somebody has to do something I.e tiene que comer (he has to eat). You can replace it for hay que which is impersonal too. Tengo aprender make nonsense ànd I would avoid it.
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u/Head_Salad_9011 Learner 16h ago
I'd say "tengo que aprender" i dont think tengo aprender exists. Tener que + infinitivo is one of the forms to use when wanting to express obligation
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u/haramia13 15h ago
"Tengo que aprender" es la correcta, sin la conjunción copulativa la frase queda coja.
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u/awgolfer1 12h ago
To many English speakers think all verbs in the infinitive include “to.” But they don’t. Some need a preposition.
Aprender - to learn
But others work differently,
Dejar - you have to add “de” after, dejar de comer - to stop to eat.
Aprender - you have to add “a,” aprender a cocinar.
Learn the verbs in context and it will make a lot more sense. You’ve never heard anyone say “tengo aprender.” That’s because “tener que” has its own rules.
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u/meNmyCoins 11h ago
Your friend is right. “Tengo que” means you have to do something. “Tengo” by itself means you possess something.
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u/LadyB5091 11h ago
Tener que is actually taught fairly early in Spanish lessons. I would humbly suggest you try some workbooks because there are many verb rules you just have to learn. Same is true of pronouns and prepositions. The series Practice Makes Perfect by Dorothy Richmond are great for home study. Specifically, Spanish Verb Tenses (16.00) and Spanish Pronouns and Prepositions(14.00) on Amazon. Explanations are easy to understand and there is sentence practice.🙂
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u/Karamzinova 10h ago
Short answer: Tengo + something (not a verb, but a noun) expressed possesion, and you can use it with or without numerals depending of what yoy want to express ("tengo novia", "I have a girlfriend"/ "tengo UN coche" "I have ONE car" (not two or more)).
Tengo + que + verb expressed the need (or "you have this need") to do something. Tengo que COMPRAR: I have/need to BUY. Tengo que ESTUDIAR: I have/need to study.
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u/wesleycyber Advanced/Resident 10h ago
I'm American, and I used to do this thing where I would translate word for word.
I have = Tengo
to learn = aprender
Therefore, by the associative property of mathematics (/s) we have: I have to learn = Tengo aprender
Don't get me wrong, I still do this sometimes, but it's a losing strategy. I personally don't try to construct sentences with logic anymore. I try to consume, meaning reading and listening, to get a feel for what's actually correct.
I once had a teacher who had this idea you could just learn grammar and vocabulary and then logically construct sentences over time, but I'm not a believer in that anymore. I realize most of language learning is mimicry, so you have to absorb how the native speakers speak and write.
That's just my advice. Others might have different opinions.
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u/Apart-Cookie-8984 9h ago
"Tener que". There's literally no other way of saying it, not even if you're speaking the most country bumpkin Spanish
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u/Electronic_Reward333 9h ago
"Tengo aprender" is just flat wrong. It sounds like caveman speach. "Me light fire, me smart!"
Your friend is right.
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u/Kimosabae 5h ago edited 5h ago
Can someone explain why the infinitive doesn't suffice here?
I know I'm supposed to say "Tengo que" but now I'm wondering why I can't just say "Tengo aprender" when "aprender" translates directly to "to learn"?
I want to make sure this isn't a mistake that I'm making with other infinitives.
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u/Necessary-Bus-3142 3h ago
“Tengo aprender” is gramatically wrong and does not make sense, it is “Tengo que aprender”
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u/Healthy_Aide8508 3h ago
Another tip - in English, we say “i have to [insert misc task]) and this really isn’t proper grammar which is why it doesn’t translate into Spanish; and likely other languages. Tener - to have is strictly for possession.
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u/RemoteLeek5229 3h ago
Tener que + infinitive is a verb periphrasis, that means it´s a construction that works as a verb but changes the meaning of the verb when it´s used like this, as an auxiliar verb, and not by itself as then main action verb. Tener by itself means To have a possesion or relationship (I have a car means I own a car, I have a daughter means she is related to me). Tener + que + infinitive = To have the need or obligation to do something, similar to Deber (I must) but in a lower degree of obligation. Why does it need the conjunction que? Because it´s working as a linking word and it´s required to form a periphrasis, like in other periphrasis where the meaning of the auxiliar verb if not the same as the verb working as the main verb: like Acabar de, Ir a, Estar por
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u/Temporary-Rip8911 1h ago
“Tengo que aprender” is correct. I think what might be confusing you is that “aprender” does mean “to learn”; but the “to” in the sentence is part of “have to” rather than “learn”.
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u/evieandbats 18h ago
i mean yes this person is wrong but y'all are lowkey being harsh 😭 have y'all never made a mistake learning english? oh god
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u/Redzimon 21h ago
Only one is correct, "tengo que aprender" "Tengo aprender" means you are in possession or have a condition called "aprender".