Learn Spanish (Latin America): Tienes que terminar el proyecto pronto.

Tienes que terminar el proyecto pronto.

You have to finish the project soon.

Breakdown of Tienes que terminar el proyecto pronto.

Questions & Answers about Tienes que terminar el proyecto pronto.

Why is the word 'que' in this sentence? Doesn't 'tienes terminar' already mean 'you have to finish'?

In Spanish, the verb tener on its own just means 'to have' as in owning something. To express an obligation (having to do something), you must use the set phrase tener que. You cannot skip the que!

Why isn't terminar conjugated to match 'you' (like terminas)?

When you use a phrase like tener que to talk about an action someone must do, only the first verb (tener) changes to match the person. The second verb (terminar) always stays in its unconjugated, dictionary form (the infinitive).

Where is the word for 'you' in this sentence?

The verb form tienes already tells us the subject is 'you' (informal singular). Because the Spanish verb ending clearly shows who is doing the action, the pronoun tú (you) is usually dropped unless you want to add extra emphasis.

Is terminar related to the English word 'terminate'?

Yes, they share the same root! But while 'terminate' sounds very formal or intense in English, terminar is just the standard, everyday Spanish word for 'to finish' or 'to end.'