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deber vs tener que

Both land as "must" or "have to" in English, but one is a moral or advisory should and the other is an outside obligation you cannot dodge.

deber

duty, advice, moral obligation

  • Debes estudiar más.
  • Deberías llamarla.
  • No debes mentir.
  • Debemos respetar las normas.
  • Debo pedirle perdón.

tener que

concrete external necessity

  • Tengo que trabajar mañana.
  • Tenemos que salir ya.
  • Tuve que pagar una multa.
  • ¿Tienes que ir?
  • Hay que reservar antes.

Quick answer

deber + infinitive = should, ought to; a duty, advice or a moral pull.
tener que + infinitive = have to; a concrete necessity imposed by circumstances.

deber de + infinitive is different again: it means "must" as a guess — debe de estar en casa, he must be at home.

Side by side

Debo llamar a mi madre.I should call my mother — I feel I ought to.
Tengo que llamar al banco antes de las cinco.I have to call the bank before five — the deadline decides, not me.
Debe de estar durmiendo.He must be sleeping — deber de is a guess, not an obligation.

Memory trick

Ask who is applying the pressure. My conscience or good sense means deber. The world, a rule or a clock means tener que.

Typical mistakes

Debo ir al aeropuerto a las seis, mi vuelo sale a las ocho.

Tengo que ir al aeropuerto a las seis, mi vuelo sale a las ocho.

A flight time is an external necessity, so tener que. Deber here would sound like a personal resolution rather than a fixed constraint.

Tengo que ser más paciente con él.

Debería ser más paciente con él.

This is self-criticism and advice, not an imposed rule, so the conditional of deber fits and sounds far more natural.

Check yourself

Your visa expires Friday. Which is more natural?

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