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Tú tienes que cocinar y yo tengo que poner la mesa.

Tú tienes que cocinar y yo tengo que poner la mesa.
You have to cook and I have to set the table.
From Lesson 58:Obligation (tener que)·Spanish (Spain)

Questions & Answers about Tú tienes que cocinar y yo tengo que poner la mesa.

Why do we need the word que after tienes and tengo?
In Spanish, to say you have to do something, you use the verb tener followed by que and then the action. The word que is the essential bridge that changes the meaning from possessing something to having an obligation.
Why are the pronouns tú and yo used in this sentence? Can't we usually leave them out?
You are right that pronouns are usually dropped in Spanish because the conjugated verbs (tienes and tengo) already tell us who is acting. Here, they are included to create a strong contrast: YOU have to do this, and I have to do that.
Why are cocinar and poner not conjugated?
When you use the tener que structure, only the first verb (tener) is conjugated to match the person. The action verb that follows always stays in its basic dictionary form, called the infinitive. That is why we use cocinar and poner.
Doesn't poner usually mean to put? Why does it mean to set here?
Yes, poner usually translates as to put or to place. However, languages often have fixed expressions. In Spanish, the specific phrase for setting the table is always poner la mesa (literally, to put the table).

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