hay que + Infinitive
Impersonal Obligation
Use hay que + infinitive to express necessity without naming a grammatical subject. Context can identify who needs to act.
How It Works
The phrase hay que + infinitive is a simple and common way to talk about necessity in Spanish.
It's built from two parts:
- Hay que: A fixed expression that means 'one must' or 'it is necessary to'. The word 'hay' comes from the verb 'haber' but is used impersonally here. In the present it is hay; other times use third-person singular forms such as había que or habrá que.
- Infinitive: The basic, unconjugated form of a verb (e.g., hablar, comer, vivir).
This structure is impersonal because it has no grammatical subject identifying the person responsible. It can give a general rule or a specific contextual instruction: Hay que comprar pan can tell the people present what needs doing.
Compare it with tener que + infinitive, which expresses a personal obligation:
- Hay que estudiar. (One must study. / It's necessary to study.) - The person responsible is not named as a subject.
- Tengo que estudiar. (I have to study.) - A personal obligation.
The base of this expression is hay, which on its own means 'there is' or 'there are'.
Examples (5)
- Hay que estudiar más.
One must study more.
Word by Word: There is that to study more.
- Hay que comprar pan para la cena.
It's necessary to buy bread for dinner.
Word by Word: There is that to buy bread for the dinner.
- Para viajar, hay que tener un pasaporte.
To travel, you have to have a passport.
Here, 'you' is used in a general sense, not referring to a specific person.
- ¿Qué hay que hacer para registrarse?
What does one have to do to register?
Word by Word: What there is that to do for to register?
- En la biblioteca, hay que hablar en voz baja.
In the library, one must speak in a low voice.
Word by Word: In the library, there is that to speak in voice low.
Common Mistakes
Confusing impersonal 'hay que' with personal 'tener que'.
Yo hay que limpiar la casa.Yo tengo que limpiar la casa.Hay que does not take yo as its grammatical subject. To name your own obligation, use Yo tengo que limpiar la casa. The impersonal construction remains singular in other tenses too, as in Había que limpiar la casa.
How It Connects
Learn This First
To understand 'hay que + infinitive', you first need to be familiar with the impersonal verb 'hay' and the concept of an infinitive verb. It is also helpful to understand the personal obligation pattern 'tener que' as it shares a similar structure.
- hayThere Is/There Are
The pattern 'hay que' is built directly upon the impersonal verb 'hay' (there is/there are).
Foundations - tener que + InfinitiveObligation with Tener
Understanding how 'que' is used with a verb of obligation to link to an infinitive provides the structural foundation for this impersonal version.
Level 1
Related Patterns
- deber + InfinitiveDuty/Should
Expresses duty or a moral obligation, often translated as 'should' or 'ought to'. It's another way to talk about obligation, but often with a sense of advice or duty rather than pure necessity.
Level 1 - ir + a + InfinitiveNear Future
Another common structure using an infinitive. While 'hay que' expresses obligation, 'ir a' expresses the near future ('going to do something'). Both are fundamental patterns for beginners.
Level 1
Learn Next
Patterns that build on this one.
Words in This Pattern
Practice hay que + Infinitive in Bubblegum
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