Tenemos que hacerlo que sea para acabarlos

Question

Can someone help me break this down? I get "We have to do it, it would be in order to end them" I know what he's trying to say, but I don't get the wording. I understand sea Ex. "Quiero que Maria sea mi novia" = "I want Maria to be my girlfriend". I don't get "que sea" I don't get the "que" or why it would be "sea". Of course it's from a show.

where is Q when you need him? - nizhoni1, MAR 14, 2010

Answer 1

It is: "Tenemos que hacer lo que sea para acabarlos" = "We have to do anything to finish them".

"Quiero (que) Maria (sea) mi novia" "I want (that) Maria (to be) my girfriend"

"sea"=conditional of "to be"

"sea" is not the conditional of "to be" it is the present subjunctive. - Eddy, MAR 14, 2010

Good spot on the hacerlo by the way. - Eddy, MAR 14, 2010

Answer 2

"Lo que sea" - "anything we need to do". Literally "anything it were"

To make it clear:

"what IS what we need to do?" - we have to do whatever that thing WERE

Answer 3

"sea" in this is "it may be" - we don't know what "it" is yet, since we haven't done "it". For example - "tenemos que hacer lo que sea para terminarlo" - We don't know if we will need to write 20 pages or 50 pages; we don't know if we will need to stay at the office 2 extra nights or all week long...whatever it may be, will will have to do it.

In English we can say "whatever it takes", "whatever it may be", or just plain "what-ever!" (As in a "Valley Girl" situation)

Answer 4

"lo que sea"="whatever" or "anything"

Literally "which it were"

Answer 5

That explanation helps a lot and is what they mean, I'm sure, but I still don't fully get "sea" there.

1. Tenemos que hacer - We have to do
2. Lo que - What
3. Sea - (needs to be done? anything?) Why? if it means conditional "to be"
4. Para Acabarlos - In order to finish them

"sea" is subjunctive - it falls into that "unknown" ot "yet to be determined" area. Conditional: "seria" - it would be; this is not conditional. - mountaingirl123, MAR 14, 2010