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Tengo que planchar la ropa para el viaje.

Tengo que planchar la ropa para el viaje.
I have to iron the clothes for the trip.
From Lesson 58:Obligation (tener que)·Spanish (Spain)

Questions & Answers about Tengo que planchar la ropa para el viaje.

Why do we need the word que after Tengo?
In Spanish, to express that you 'have to' do something, you use the formula tener que followed by a verb in its basic form (the infinitive, like planchar). Without que, the words Tengo planchar would sound like 'I have iron'. The que is the essential bridge that creates the meaning of obligation.
Why is la ropa singular when the English translation says 'the clothes'?
In Spanish, la ropa is a collective noun. This means it is a grammatically singular word that refers to a group of items (clothing as a whole). Even though we translate it as plural 'clothes' in English, you must always treat it as singular in Spanish.
Why is para used here for 'for' instead of por?
The word para is used here because it shows the purpose or the goal of an action. You are ironing the clothes specifically in preparation for the trip. A great rule of thumb is that if 'for' points toward a specific event, destination, or deadline, para is usually the right choice.
How do I know if viaje is masculine or feminine since it ends in an -e?
Words ending in -e do not have a strict gender rule like words ending in -o or -a, so you often have to memorize them. However, there is a very handy trick for this word: almost all Spanish nouns ending in -aje (like el viaje, el mensaje, el garaje) are masculine.

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