Breakdown of Tienes que usar un pañuelo para estornudar.
tener
to have
un
a, an (masculine)
usar
to use / to wear
para
for
que
that / than
estornudar
to sneeze
el pañuelo
the tissue
Questions & Answers about Tienes que usar un pañuelo para estornudar.
Why does it say para estornudar instead of something like 'when you sneeze'?
In Spanish, it is very common to use para followed by an infinitive verb to express purpose or what an object is used for. So para estornudar translates literally to 'in order to sneeze' or 'for sneezing', which is how Spanish speakers naturally express 'when you sneeze' in this context.
This lesson is about the subjunctive. Why is there no subjunctive used in this sentence?
There is no trigger for the subjunctive here. The phrase Tienes que expresses a direct obligation (you have to), not a wish, hope, or doubt. If you wanted to express a wish using the current lesson's grammar, you would say something like Ojalá que uses un pañuelo (I hope you use a tissue), which does trigger the subjunctive.
Why do we use para instead of por before estornudar?
Could I say Debes usar instead of Tienes que usar?
Yes, absolutely! Debes usar un pañuelo means 'You must use a tissue' or 'You should use a tissue.' However, tienes que usar (you have to use) is slightly more common in everyday spoken Latin American Spanish for expressing a strong practical need or rule.
Learn Tienes que usar un pañuelo para estornudar and more in Spanish
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
- ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
- ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free