What does "hay que" mean?

Question

I want to know what "Hay que" means, i'm getting different answers such as must, we have to, and where at. Can you help me please?

How about "one has to" ? or "there has to be" something like that. - ian-hill, Sep 21, 2010

Please fill out your profile so that we may better help you .Bienvenido al fora , buena suerte amigo. - ray76, Sep 8, 2014

Answer 1

"Hay que hacer algo"........."Something needs to be done" as opposed to "You need to do something."

"Hay que" is how we use passive voice to avoid creating a personal issue.

You could also say in passive voice "Se necesita hacer algo."

Something *has* to be done - chileno, May 31, 2014

Answer 2

Hi, welcome to the forum. You will probably get different answers for this one since it does not translate well directly into English. Word for word - Hay que... = There is that... I look at is as "There is reason to..." but most people wouldn't really say that any more than they would say "One has to..." hence the different translations. It's necessary to...we have to...you must...someone should...

For example: No hay leche. Hay que ir a la tienda. There's no milk. Someone should go to the store.

Estás mala. Hay que tomar la medicina. You're sick. You must take the medicine.

Está tarde. Hay que dormir. It's late. We should sleep.

Si quieres aprobar el examen hay que estudiar. If you want to pass the exam you have to study.

I don't know of a case where it would be "where at".

Answer 3

Hay que is usually used to mean 'It is necessary' or Someone should or needs to do, something

For example:

Hay que poner la mesa = Someone should lay the table

Hay que lavar los platos = Someone should wash the dishes.

The verb that follows' hay que' should remain unconjugated as Paralee correctly says

It is different from 'tener que' = to have to (which is more personal )

For example Tienes que arreglar tu dormitorio = You have to tidy your bedroom.

For further examples please see Paralee's Spanish lesson 1:13.

I have provided a link here for you to her lesson

link text

I hope this helps

If you bold every part of your post, you are losing the idea of what bolding actually does. - jeezzle, Sep 21, 2010

Thank you, Jeexle, Very valid point I will take that on board and learn from it :) - FELIZ77, May 31, 2014

Thanks, Feliz. I had forgotten about this! :) - Findy, May 31, 2014

Answer 4

Que hay? is slang which is why clearly no one on this thread knows what it means. In Puerto Rican dialect "que hay" is similar to "que pasa". When someone says what's happening in Puerto Rico, they could say que pasa or que hay. Que hay is more like what's up.

What about Arcangel in "dime si hay que meterle" what does he mean. - Areik, Aug 28, 2016

Answer 5

Hay que is something one has to do in order to atain something examples: Para aprender español hay que estudiar. Para llegar al centro hay que coger el autobus numero 7 or whatever, it is not someone has to whereas Tener que is personal obligations such as: Tengo que limpiar mi habitación. Tiene que cuidar su hermano pequeño. Alguien tiene que lavar los platos. Someone has to wash the pots.

Answer 6

It is similar to "tener que" but in a general sense. I think of it is saying "One has to..."

J

Tener que means you have to hay que = someone should - FELIZ77, Sep 21, 2010

Answer 7

I have also heard "Hay que una gringa sospechosa"

k? - chileno, May 31, 2014

Can this mean both: There is a suspicious-looking gringo - or - There is a gringo who feels suspicious." ? - Findy, May 31, 2014