Impersonal Obligation with "Hay que"
To talk about things that are generally necessary without pointing to a specific person—like saying "one must," "people have to," or "it is necessary to" in English—use the phrase hay que.
Just follow hay que with an infinitive verb (a verb in its unconjugated form):
| You have to take your passport to the airport. | Hay que llevar tu pasaporte al aeropuerto. |
| We are going to travel, we have to make the reservation today. | Vamos a viajar, hay que hacer la reserva hoy. |
Giving General Advice and Rules
Because hay que expresses general necessities, it is the perfect phrase for stating what needs to be done to prepare for an event, or what the protocol is in an emergency.
| In an emergency, one has to act fast. | En una emergencia, hay que actuar rápido. |
| The man is sick, one has to call an ambulance. | El hombre está enfermo, hay que llamar una ambulancia. |
| You have to keep calm in the hospital. | Hay que mantener la calma en el hospital. |
Negative Obligation
To state that something must not be done, or that there is no need to do something, simply put no in front of the phrase: no hay que.
| One must not forget the passport at home. | No hay que olvidar el pasaporte en la casa. |
| One must not lose patience in an emergency. | No hay que perder la paciencia en una emergencia. |
| We already have it, we don't have to pay for another insurance. | Ya lo tenemos, no hay que pagar otro seguro. |
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