tienes que irte
/tjenes ke iɾte/from spelling rules
The English phrase "you have to go" is translated into Spanish as tienes que irte.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of tienes (you have), que (that/to), ir (to go) and the reflexive suffix -te (yourself), literally meaning 'you have to go yourself away'.
Which one should you use?
The inclusion of the reflexive pronoun -te in tienes que irte emphasizes the act of leaving or departing from a specific location.
How does it change in a sentence?
While tienes que irte implies leaving a place or departing, tienes que ir is used when the destination is the focus, such as 'you have to go to the store'.
Did you know?
- The word que shares a distant linguistic ancestor with the English word 'who', through the Proto-Indo-European root '*kʷís'.
- Because tienes comes from tener ('to have' or 'to hold'), the phrase literally suggests that you 'possess' an obligation to leave, rather than simply being required to do so.
- In many Spanish dialects, if you want to sound more natural when telling a friend they must leave, you might use the phrase 'te tienes que ir' instead of 'tienes que irte'.
Examples in context
- Tienes que irte a dormir.You have to go to sleep.This sentence shows how to use tienes que irte regarding sleep.Tatoeba #12659785 by Shishir, translation #4934253 by Martka
- Tienes que irte.You have to go.This sentence is a simple way to use tienes que irte.Tatoeba #512344 by Shishir, translation #16159 by xtofu80
- Es urgente, tienes que irte ahora.It's urgent, you have to go now.This sentence shows how to use tienes que irte in an urgent situation.Tatoeba #11242319 by carlosalberto, translation #11242247 by carlosalberto
- Oye, ya es tarde. Tienes que irte. Nos vemos mañanaHey, it's getting late. You have to go. See you tomorrow.
Example conversation
Daniel is checking his watch while talking to Elena at a cafe.
- DanielElena, ya es tarde.Elena, it is late already.
- Elena¿Tan pronto? Aún me gusta estar aquí.So soon? I still like being here.
- DanielLo siento, pero tienes que irte para no perder el tren.I am sorry, but you have to go so you don't miss the train.
- ElenaTienes razón, me voy ahora mismo.You are right, I am leaving right now.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries que, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
