Tengo que prepararme antes de la entrevista.

Tener que + infinitive is a very common Spanish structure meaning to have to + verb.

So:

• Tengo que = I have to
• prepararme = prepare myself / get ready

Together, Tengo que prepararme means I have to prepare myself or more naturally I have to get ready.

This is one of the main ways Spanish expresses obligation.

Spanish often leaves out subject pronouns when they are clear from the verb ending.

• Tengo already means I have
• so yo is not necessary

You can say Yo tengo que prepararme, but it usually adds emphasis, contrast, or clarification.

For example:

• Tengo que prepararme = neutral, normal
• Yo tengo que prepararme = I have to prepare myself (maybe not someone else)

Because me is attached to the infinitive preparar.

• preparar = to prepare
• me = myself

So:

• prepararme = to prepare myself

In Spanish, object pronouns can attach to an infinitive:

• prepararme
• ayudarte
• lavarse

This is very common after structures like tener que, poder, querer, and similar verbs.

Yes. That is also correct and very natural.

These two are both correct:

• Tengo que prepararme
• Me tengo que preparar

The meaning is the same. The difference is only pronoun placement.

With tener que + infinitive, the reflexive pronoun can go:

1. attached to the infinitive
   
   • Tengo que prepararme
2. before the conjugated verb
   
   • Me tengo que preparar

Both are common in Spain and elsewhere.

Because the person doing the action is also the one receiving it.

• preparar = to prepare something
• prepararse = to prepare oneself / get ready

Compare:

• Tengo que preparar la sala. = I have to prepare the room.
• Tengo que prepararme. = I have to prepare myself / get ready.

In this sentence, the speaker is getting themselves ready, so the reflexive form is used.

Me is the reflexive pronoun for yo.

It means myself here.

The reflexive pronouns are:

• me = myself
• te = yourself
• se = himself / herself / yourself formal / themselves
• nos = ourselves
• os = yourselves
• se = themselves

So:

• prepararme = to prepare myself
• prepararte = to prepare yourself
• prepararse = to prepare himself/herself

Because antes usually needs de before a noun.

• antes de la entrevista = before the interview
• antes de comer = before eating

So when Spanish says before + noun or before + infinitive, it normally uses antes de.

Examples:

• antes de clase = before class
• antes de salir = before leaving

You would not normally say antes la entrevista.

Because entrevista is a feminine singular noun.

So its definite article is la:

• la entrevista = the interview

After de, la stays separate:

• de la entrevista = of the interview / before the interview, depending on context

Compare:

• de + el = del
• but de + la = de la

So:

• antes del examen = before the exam
• antes de la entrevista = before the interview

Usually, no. In this sentence, la is the normal choice.

Spanish uses the definite article more often than English does. With a specific event like the interview, Spanish normally says:

• antes de la entrevista

Leaving it out would sound incomplete or unnatural in most normal contexts.

They are very similar, but not always identical in tone.

• Tengo que prepararme = I have to prepare myself
• Debo prepararme = I should / I must prepare myself

Tener que is extremely common in everyday speech and often feels very neutral.

Deber can sound a bit more formal or sometimes slightly more like should depending on context.

In many situations, both work, but tengo que is probably the most natural everyday option here.

Yes.

Literally, it means prepare myself, but in many contexts the most natural English translation is get ready.

So in this sentence, depending on context, it could be understood as:

• I have to prepare myself before the interview
• I have to get ready before the interview

If the context is mental or practical preparation, prepare myself fits well. If it is more general, get ready may sound more natural in English.

Yes, but it changes the meaning.

• antes de la entrevista = before the interview
• para la entrevista = for the interview

Compare:

• Tengo que prepararme antes de la entrevista. = I have to prepare myself before the interview.
• Tengo que prepararme para la entrevista. = I have to prepare myself for the interview.

The first focuses on time.
The second focuses on purpose.

You can even combine them:

• Tengo que prepararme para la entrevista antes de mañana.

No. Entrevista can refer to many kinds of interviews:

• a job interview
• a media interview
• an interview with a teacher, official, or institution

If the meaning has already been given as a job interview, that is fine in context, but the noun itself is broader than that.

The main changes are the form of tener and the reflexive pronoun.

Examples:

• Tienes que prepararte antes de la entrevista. = You have to prepare yourself before the interview.
• Tiene que prepararse antes de la entrevista. = He/She/You formal has to prepare himself/herself/yourself before the interview.
• Tenemos que prepararnos antes de la entrevista. = We have to prepare ourselves before the interview.

This is a useful pattern to learn as a whole:

[form of tener] + que + [infinitive + reflexive pronoun] + antes de + noun