Use of "que"

[SPX]

So I was looking up how to say "I have to go" and the translation was "Tengo que ir."

Why "que?" Why not just "Tengo ir"?

I don't understand the use of que here at all. Help?

[chileno]

Originally Posted by SPX

So I was looking up how to say "I have to go" and the translation was "Tengo que ir."

Why "que?" Why not just "Tengo ir"?

I don't understand the use of que here at all. Help?

I have to go = (yo) tengo que irme (I have to leave the place)

I have to go = (yo) tengo que ir ) I must go (to a place)

[SPX]

That still doesn't explain the use of Que.

Tengo = I have
Ir = to go

What's up with the "que"?

[chileno]

Someone else will explain... I hope

[aleCcowaN]

You say "tengo que ir" instead of "tengo ir" for the very same reason you say "I have to go" instead of saying "I have go". My developing English brain tells me that hearing "I have go" suggests the speaker wanted to say something like "I have gone" and something awful happened like a hammer blown at his head at the time of speaking. The preposition "to" is needed to tell that "go" is intended as the bare meaning of the action and not as the action being performed in any way and to prevent that "go" may be parsed as part of a verbal periphrasis ("I have gone", "I will go", "I would've gone"). So "que" has the exact function and meaning than "to" within the scope of those examples. Additionally "que" has a lot of similar functions in Spanish that English doesn't need because it has a much simpler grammar.

[Perikles]

Originally Posted by SPX

That still doesn't explain the use of Que.

Tengo = I have
Ir = to go

What's up with the "que"?

To be honest, the real problem is that you are trying to translate word for word, and languages don't work like that. You have to translate phrase by phrase. Some words on their own have several meanings, and you can't always map the meaning of one word onto another in a different language. So when you say "Tengo = I have" it is only true when "have" means "possess"

Tengo una escopeta = I have a shotgun

This is not the same as the verbal phrase "tengo que" which means "I must" or "I have to"

So the answer to your question is the "que" is there to differentiate the verb "tengo" and the verbial phrase "tengo que", because they mean different things. Why it is a "que" and not something else, the answer is because it just is.

[SPX]

Originally Posted by Perikles

To be honest, the real problem is that you are trying to translate word for word, and languages don't work like that.

Well that's the really frustrating thing about Spanish . . . sometimes that's EXACTLY how it works and sometimes it doesn't. Sometimes the word order is EXACTLY like English . . . and sometimes it's all jumbled up.

Soy - I am
de - from
los Estados Unidos. - the United States

Quiero - I want
una - a
hamburguesa - hamburger

Quiero - I want
estudiar - to study

Necesito - I need
enviar - to send
una - a
carta - letter


That makes it all sound very simple. So it seems obvious that "I have to go" is "Tengo ir."

This reminds me of the confusing "Voy a" when used with a verb. I have always been taught that the infinitive has "to" already built into it.

So "Voy a escribir un libro" sounds to me like, "I am going to to write a book," you know? Why not just "Voy escribir un libro". . .?

So the real problem arises when you've been successful directly translating and it's been correct. Then you find something that doesn't fall into that same pattern and it just leaves you scratching your head.

Originally Posted by Perikles

So the answer to your question is the "que" is there to differentiate the verb "tengo" and the verbial phrase "tengo que", because they mean different things. Why it is a "que" and not something else, the answer is because it just is.

Okay, thanks. I'm sure it will seem normal to me after repeated use.

[Cuholvke]

The use of "que" is similar to that of "to". Other cases are "para" ("para ganar" = "to win") and "hacia" ("hacia el este" = "to the east")

Examples:
I have to go.
Tengo que ir(me).

You have to do that.
Tienes que hacer eso.

I have to take that way.
Tengo que tomar ese camino.

I need to go there.
Tengo que ir ahí.
Necesito ir ahí. (In this particular case "Necesito" ("I need" / "I need to") overrides the need of "que".)

I need you to go there.
Necesito que vayas ahí.

[Perikles]

Originally Posted by SPX

Well that's the really frustrating thing about Spanish . . . sometimes that's EXACTLY how it works and sometimes it doesn't. Sometimes the word order is EXACTLY like English . . . and sometimes it's all jumbled up..

Yes exactly - many people say that Spanish is easy to learn, but, say, German is difficult. In fact I find this really annoying quality of Spanish being the same order sometimes as something really difficult because it trips you up when it isn't. I find in many ways, German is easier in that the word order is almost always different to English, so at least you know that to start with.

[SPX]

It seems that a lot of what goes into successfully learning a language is just exposure and having something drilled into your subconscious to the point to where you don't even think about it or question it . . . you just know how to say what you want to say.