Hay que in Spanish
We use hay que in Spanish followed by an infinitive in order to say one must do something or it is necessary to do something. Look at these examples:
Hay que llevar una vida sana.One must lead a healthy lifestyle.
Hay que escuchar en clase con atención.One must listen in class carefully.
Hay que ser más solidarios con los demás.It is necessary to support other people more.
Hay que consumir menos energía para cuidar el planeta.It is necessary to consume less energy in order to protect the planet.
Note that the verb haber is only conjugated in the 3rd person singular as it works as an impersonal verb.
You cannot omit que!
You can also use
tener que [have to] conjugated + infinitive verb
in order to express obligation. In this case, do not forget to conjugate tener according to the subject. For example:
Tenemos que gastar menos dinero.
We have to spend less money.
See also Expressing obligation with tener que in Spanish .
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