Learn Spanish (Spain): Tengo que lavar el pijama.

Tengo que lavar el pijama.

I have to wash the pajamas.

Breakdown of Tengo que lavar el pijama.

tener

to have

que

that (relative pronoun, conjunction)

Questions & Answers about Tengo que lavar el pijama.

Why is it "Tengo que lavar" and not just "Tengo lavar"?

To say "have to" do something in Spanish, you must use the set phrase tener que followed by the infinitive (unconjugated) verb. If you leave out que, the verb tener just means "to have" as in ownership.

Why is "el pijama" singular when the English translation says "the pajamas"?

In Spain, a set of pajamas is treated as a single item, so you say el pijama. English often makes clothing with two legs plural (like pants, shorts, or pajamas), but Spanish doesn't always do this. You would only say los pijamas if you were talking about multiple pairs in the laundry.

"Pijama" ends in an "a", so shouldn't it be feminine?

It looks feminine, but el pijama is masculine in Spain. There is a group of Spanish nouns that end in "-ma" but are actually masculine, such as el problema and el idioma. Note that in parts of Latin America, you might hear la pijama, but in Spain it is always masculine.

Why isn't the verb reflexive here, like "lavarme"?

You only use the reflexive form (like lavarme) when you are washing a part of your own body, such as your hands or face. Since you are washing an external object (a piece of clothing), you just use the standard verb lavar.