turėti + infinitive
Must with Turėti
Turiu + infinitive = I have to: Turiu eiti. (I have to go.)
How It Works
You already know turėti as to have: Turiu brolį (I have a brother). Put an infinitive after it, and it means to have to or must.
1. Only turėti changes.
- Turiu eiti. (I have to go.)
- Tu turi pailsėti. (You must rest.)
- Jis, ji turi dirbti. (He, she has to work.)
- Mes turime skubėti. (We have to hurry.)
- Jūs turite palaukti. (You have to wait.)
2. The past is turėjau, turėjai, turėjo. Vakar turėjau dirbti. (Yesterday I had to work.) The infinitive stays the same in every tense.
3. Turėti or reikia? With turėti, the person is the subject in the nominative: Aš turiu eiti. With reikia, the person is in the dative: Man reikia eiti. Both are common. Turėti sounds a little firmer, like a duty or a rule, while reikia simply says what is needed.
4. Softer advice. The conditional form turėtum, turėtų means should: Tu turėtum pailsėti. (You should rest.) You will meet it with the conditional mood and reikėtų.
5. Guesses. In English, must also makes a guess: He must be at home. Lithuanians usually say that with turbūt or tikriausiai: Jis turbūt namie. Turėti can also express an inference in context, especially with būti. The obligation meaning is the focus here.
Examples (6)
- Atsiprašau, turiu eiti.
Sorry, I have to go.
Word by Word: Sorry, I-have to-go.
Turiu is the I-form of turėti. Eiti stays in the infinitive.
- Tu turi pailsėti.
You must rest.
Word by Word: You have to-rest.
The same pattern with tu: turi + infinitive.
- Rytoj turime anksti keltis.
Tomorrow we have to get up early.
Word by Word: Tomorrow we-have early to-get-up.
A reflexive infinitive such as keltis works the same way.
- Vakar turėjau ilgai laukti autobuso.
Yesterday I had to wait a long time for the bus.
Word by Word: Yesterday I-had long to-wait bus.
Turėjau shows the past. Laukti keeps its own object, autobuso.
- Ji turi daug dirbti.
She has to work a lot.
Word by Word: She has a-lot to-work.
- Visi keleiviai turi turėti bilietą.
All passengers must have a ticket.
Word by Word: All passengers must to-have ticket.
The first turi means must. The second turėti is the ordinary verb to have.
Common Mistakes
Putting the person in the dative, as with reikia.
Man turiu eiti.Aš turiu eiti.Turėti takes a normal subject in the nominative. The dative man goes with reikia: Man reikia eiti.
Using the present in an ordinary report of a past duty.
Vakar turiu dirbti.Vakar turėjau dirbti.Turėti carries the tense, so it must be past: turėjau. The infinitive dirbti does not change.
Conjugating both verbs.
Turiu einu.Turiu eiti.Only turėti gets a personal ending. The second verb stays in the infinitive, such as eiti or reflexive keltis.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Turėti can introduce an obligation expressed by an infinitive.
Related Patterns
- man reikiaNeeding with Reikia
Reikia also expresses need or obligation, but the person is in the dative.
Level 2 - norėti / galėti / mokėti + infinitiveWant, Can and Know How with an Infinitive
Want, can and know how use the same verb + infinitive shape.
Level 1 - reikėtų + infinitiveShould with Reikėtų
Reikėtų, like turėtų, gives softer advice: you should.
Level 4 - gal / galbūt / turbūt / tikriausiaiMaybe and Probably
For guesses such as he must be at home, these words are the usual choice.
Level 2
Words in This Pattern
Practice turėti + infinitive in Bubblegum
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