Breakdown of El tesoro tiene que estar en este desván polvoriento.
en
in / on / by (means of transport) / about (after pensar)
estar
to be (location/state)
tener
to have
que
that (relative pronoun, conjunction)
Questions & Answers about El tesoro tiene que estar en este desván polvoriento.
Does tiene que estar express an obligation here?
No, this is expressing a strong logical deduction or certainty. While tener que + infinitive usually means "to have to" in the sense of an obligation, here it means "has to be" or "must be" because the speaker is making a very confident guess based on the evidence.
Could I say debe de estar instead of tiene que estar to express this same deduction?
Why is estar used here instead of ser?
Even though the speaker is stating a strong fact about their deduction, the verb is indicating the physical location of the treasure. In Spanish, physical location always requires estar, never ser.
What is the difference between a desván and an ático in Spain?
In Spain, a desván refers to a storage space right under the roof, usually unfinished, dark, and perfect for hiding old things or gathering dust. An ático, on the other hand, typically refers to a livable top-floor apartment often with a terrace (a penthouse).