# tener que



## Anita hk

'tener que + infinitive'  means have to do or should do or must do.  So 'tener que hacer' means have to do.  But then 'tengo mucho que hacer' is I have much to do.  And now I just came across 'tengo algo urgente que decirte'.  Does it mean I have something urgent to tell you (like in 'tengo mucho que hacer' where tener is have and que is equivalent to 'to') or I must tell you sthg urgent (according to tener que + inf)?


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## PowBiscuit

I don't know the answer, but i thought i'd have a try at it. I am curious about the answer as well. I think it means. "I have something urgent that/to say to you.


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## alc112

Anita hk said:
			
		

> 'tener que + infinitive' means have to do or should do or must do. So 'tener que hacer' means have to do. But then 'tengo mucho que hacer' is I have much to do. And now I just came across 'tengo algo urgente que decirte'. Does it mean I have something urgent to tell you (like in 'tengo mucho que hacer' where tener is have and que is equivalent to 'to') or I must tell you sthg urgent (according to tener que + inf)?


 
Tengo algo urgente que decirte = Tengo que decirte algo urgente= I have something urgent to tell you
I don't think you can translate it as "must" because tener que +infinitivo isn't always as obligation as "must"


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## susacha70

If it were I must tell you something urgent, then I think it would be 'Debo decirte algo urgente'.


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## alc112

susacha70 said:
			
		

> If it were I must tell you something urgent, then I think it would be 'Debo decirte algo urgente'.


 
YOu are right
Debo decirte algo = I must tell you something urgent
Tengo que decirte algo urgente = I have to tell you something urgent


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## Anita hk

I thought in Spanish, word order is not that important.  Then would 'Tengo que decirte algo urgente ' means the same as 'tengo algo urgente que decirte'. In English I would say I have to tell you something urgent and I have something urgent to tell you is slightly different.  Does Spanish has that slight difference too?


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## Rayines

No, Anita, there's no difference with regard to the meaning. If I said it quickly, I'd choose the fist option ("tengo que decirte algo urgente"), that is to say, giving priority to the action.


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## alc112

I think it there could be a slight difference:
Tengo algo urgente que decirte: the thing is urgent
Tengo algo que decirte urgente: the action must be done urgent.
so you are right. I was wrong and I'm sorry 
Please, Forgive me


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## alc112

Rayines said:
			
		

> No, Anita, there's no difference with regard to the meaning. If I said it quickly, I'd choose the fist option ("tengo que decirte algo urgente"), that is to say, giving priority to the action.


 
Inés, ¿creés que es lo mismo totalmente?
Yo pensándolo mejor ahora, no lo creo


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## Rayines

> Yo pensándolo mejor ahora, no lo creo


*Pourquois pas?*


> Tengo algo que decirte urgente: the action must be done urgent.


*Pero en este caso creo que habría que decir "urgentemente".*

*El ejemplo era: "Tengo que decirte algo urgente", versus "Tengo algo urgente que decirte"....O no?*


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## alc112

Rayines said:
			
		

> *Pourquois pas?Pero en este caso creo que habría que decir "urgentemente".*
> 
> *El ejemplo era: "Tengo que decirte algo urgente", versus "Tengo algo urgente que decirte"....O no?*


 
Pero si ponemos una coma, todo cambia 
Yo, aunque sé es correcto usar urgentemente, entiendo que urgente en esta oración está siendo usado como adverbio


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## Rayines

> Yo, aunque sé es correcto usar urgentemente, entiendo que urgente en esta oración está siendo usado como adverbio


*OK, negociamos con una coma y un signo de admiración: "Tengo que decirte algo, URGENTE!" *


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## alc112

Rayines said:
			
		

> *OK, negociamos con una coma y un signo de admiración: "Tengo que decirte algo, URGENTE!" *


 
Ok 
volviendo al tema
In this case, by adding that coma, "urgente" is more emphatic. We would use it when is something you want someone to do in the momente because is something really urgent/important


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## Anita hk

I'm a bit lost.  So if I say tengo que infinitive... is I have to do (emphasis is on the action), and if I say tengo....que  inf (emphasis is on the ...).  Is that it?


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## alc112

Anita hk said:
			
		

> I'm a bit lost. So if I say tengo que infinitive... is I have to do (emphasis is on the action), and if I say tengo....que inf (emphasis is on the ...). Is that it?


 
I'm so sorry for confusing you:
Tengo que +infinitive = I have to +infinitive
So use it as you normally use "have to" in English
Inés and I were discussing about "urgente". She emphasized that "urgente" should be "urgentemente" when you seay "Tengo que decirte algo urgente". So I said if we add a coma, the sentence sense change a bit because "urgente" is now telling the ohte rperson that the action has to be done NOW.
I hope you can understand what I meant. If not, post again and I'll try to explain it better.

Cheers
*EDIT: FORGET THIS. EXPLAINING IN THE NEXT POST*


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## alc112

Anita hk said:
			
		

> I'm a bit lost. So if I say tengo que infinitive... is I have to do (emphasis is on the action), and if I say tengo....que inf (emphasis is on the ...). Is that it?


I really don't know how to explain this. I hope you can understand with thes two examples.
Tengo algo que hacer ----> There is something I have to do
Tengo que hacer algo ----> I have to do something
Soma examples:
*Tengo algo importante que decirle a mi profesora.*
_There's something important that I have to tell my teacher._
*Tengo que hacer algo para solucionar las dudas que te he provocado.*
_I have to do something to solve the doubts I have caused to you._


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## Anita hk

there is no urgentemente in the WR dictionary.  I guess it just means urgently? 

Tengo que decirte algo urgentemente = I have to tell you something urgently (I need to tell you something, but I have to do it urgently)

Tengo algo urgente que decirte = I have something urgent to tell you.

Is the above correct?


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## Anita hk

alc112, sorry I didn't see your last post before I posted mine.  I think you explained it very clearly in the last post.  I have finally got it.  Thanks a lot to you and Rayines, you are always so helpful.


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## alc112

Anita hk said:
			
		

> there is no urgentemente in the WR dictionary. I guess it just means urgently?
> 
> Tengo que decirte algo urgentemente = I have to tell you something urgently (I need to tell you something, but I have to do it urgently)
> 
> Tengo algo urgente que decirte = I have something urgent to tell you.
> 
> Is the above correct?


 
Yes!!!! ccccc


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## alc112

Anita hk said:
			
		

> alc112, sorry I didn't see your last post before I posted mine. I think you explained it very clearly in the last post. I have finally got it. Thanks a lot to you and Rayines, you are always so helpful.


 
YOu are welcome, Anita
Anytime you need help, just ask here. You'll recieve very good answers.


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## yessy

Hola talves mi comentario sirva de algo, yo lo interpreto de esta manera:
-tengo lago " urgente" que decirte- 
para mi significa que algo urgente (importante) paso y tengo que contartelo.
-tengo que decirte algo "urgente"-
significa que ese algo debo contartelo urgentemente.


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## alc112

Sirve y mucho, pero recuerda que a este foro ingresa gente que no son habalntes nativos, asíq ue tenemos que tener mucho cuidado con la ortografía y todo eso. Déjame corregir tus errores para que todos te puedan entender:


			
				yessy said:
			
		

> Hola tal vez mi comentario sirva de algo, yo lo interpreto de esta manera:
> -tengo algo " urgente" que decirte-
> para mi significa que algo urgente (importante) pasó y tengo que contártelo.
> -tengo que decirte algo "urgente"-
> significa que eso algo debo contártelo urgentemente.


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## Rayines

> Inés and I were discussing about "urgente". She emphasized that "urgente" should be "urgentemente" when you seay "Tengo que decirte algo urgente".


*Hallo: pleeeasy...to avoid more confussions: it wasn't exactly like this. I'll write the three possibilities I see of saying more or less the same (specially for Anita):*

*1)* *Tengo algo urgente que decirte. "Urgente": adjective.*

*2) Tengo que decirte algo urgente. "Urgente": adjective.*

*3rd. option) (introduced by Alc.): Tengo algo que decirte urgente: this is  for me , because the function is that of an adverb, then it should be : "urgentemente"*
*Yes?.*


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## rhoeng

Hola A Todos , Soy Nueva Aqui.
Me Parece Que La Oracion Seria: I Have To Tell You Sthg Urgent, Porque Esa Oracion Se Usa Cuando Estas Muy Apurado Por Decir Algo Importante, Que No Puede Esperar.


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## Anita hk

Rayines, so in your 1 and 2, they both mean I have sthg urgent to tell you (the something is urgent), and although the word order is different, there is no difference between the two sentences.  
If I want to say I have to tell you something urgently (the action is urgent), I should say tengo algo que decirte urgentemente or tengo que decirte algo urgentemente.
Am I understanding you correctly?


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## Rayines

> Am I understanding you correctly?


*Yes, Anita, of course!  (Are you sure you aren't Spanish? ) *


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## Anita hk

Rayines, I got totally carried away in the discussion and forgot about my orginal question in the first post.  So the sentence 'tengo algo urgente que decirte' means I have sthg urgent to tell you and not I have to tell you sthg urgent (pls note that urgently doesn't come into any of these 2 sentences).  

By the way, can I say tengo que hacer mucho instead of tengo mucho que hacer?


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## alc112

Anita hk said:
			
		

> By the way, can I say tengo que hacer mucho instead of tengo mucho que hacer?


 
Yes, you can, but you mustn't 
but you can say
Tengo que hacer muchas cosas


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## Rayines

*Thanks, Alc, for your congratulations in the C. Pages! , and Anita....**she's **getting carried away (as she says), but she has first hand information!  ...or not?*


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## alc112

Rayines said:
			
		

> *Thanks, Alc, for your congratulations in the C. Pages! , and Anita....**she's **getting carried away (as she says), but she has first hand information!  ...or not?*


 
YOu are welcome
You are right
Two different points of sight (puntos de vista?)


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## jacinta

alc112 said:
			
		

> YOu are welcome
> You are right
> Two different points of sight (puntos de vista?)


 points of *view*= puntos de vista


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## alc112

jacinta said:
			
		

> points of *view*= puntos de vista


casi
Gracias Jacinta
Mejor dejamos esto acá porque ya nos salimos del tema


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