tienes que irte
/tjenes ke iɾte/from spelling rules
In Spanish, "you need to leave" is expressed as tienes que irte.
This phrase is used to communicate that it is necessary for a person to depart from a place.
Which one should you use?
There is a subtle difference between tienes que irte and tienes que ir. While tienes que ir implies the necessity of traveling toward a specific destination, tienes que irte emphasizes the actual act of departing from the current location.
How does it change in a sentence?
In the phrase tienes que irte, the reflexive pronoun te is attached to the end of the infinitive ir. This indicates that the person is departing from a place (leaving themselves) rather than simply "going" somewhere.
When do people say it?
The phrase Tienes que salir de aquí can be used among close friends or family members to indicate that it is time for them to leave a specific place.
Did you know?
- In some Spanish-speaking cultures, telling a guest tienes que irte directly can be seen as abrupt. People often use 'indirect' cues, such as standing up or mentioning the late hour, to signal it is time to leave.
- The word que in tienes que irte shares an ancient ancestor with the English word 'who'.
- Using tienes que irte in a romantic context can be a dramatic trope in Spanish soap operas, often used as a climax to signal a definitive breakup rather than a simple departure.
Examples in context
- Tienes que irte.You need to leave.This example shows how to use tienes que irte.Tatoeba #512344 by Shishir, translation #2648176 by CK
- Oye, tienes que largarte ya. ¡Es hora de irnos!Hey, you need to take off now. It's time to leave!
- Es tarde, tienes que irte ahora.It is late, you need to leave now.
- Si no quieres perder el tren, tienes que irte.If you don't want to miss the train, you need to leave.
Example conversation
Sofía is telling Mateo that his taxi has arrived.
- SofíaMateo, tu taxi ya está aquí.Mateo, your taxi is already here.
- Mateo¿De verdad? Creo que todavía puedo quedarme un poco.Really? I think I can stay a little longer.
- SofíaNo, tienes que irte ya.No, you need to leave now.
- MateoEstá bien, me voy.Okay, I am leaving.
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.
