Breakdown of Esta tarde tengo que hacer unos recados.
un
a, an, some
tener
to have
que
that (relative pronoun, conjunction)
hacer
to do, to make
Questions & Answers about Esta tarde tengo que hacer unos recados.
Why do we use hacer here instead of a Spanish verb for "run"?
I've seen recado used for phone calls. Does it mean "errand" or "message"?
Why is it Esta tarde and not Este tarde?
The word tarde (afternoon) is a feminine noun, so it must be paired with the feminine word for "this", which is Esta. Because tarde ends in "e" rather than "a", its gender is an easy one to mix up!
What is the difference between tengo que hacer and debo hacer for expressing this obligation?
Both express obligation, but tengo que (I have to) is the most common and natural way to talk about everyday chores. Debo (I must) sounds a bit more formal or implies a strong moral duty, which is too serious for just running errands.