Hay que and tener que. Just a quick clarification questio :)
Tener que and hay que both mean something has to be done. But my question is when do you know when to use Hay que? as it doesn't always work when you want to say "He has to do..."
4 Answers
Actually hay que doesn't mean "tener que", it means "let's ..." and it only can be used when you want to do something with one or more persons, for example:
Juan, ¡hay que hacer la tarea! -> Juan, let's do the homework!
Amigos, ¡hay que hacer el trabajo! Friends, let's do the work!
Nametakesn's usage is correct too.
As long as I know 'hay que' is used when we talk about sth like general necessity, 'tener que' - maybe when we want to indicate who has to do sth, for example. But I'm begginer and although i remeber reading such explanation in my coursebook im not 100 % sure.
Tener que and hay que both mean something has to be done.
Translating those phrases is a pointless exercise, because in this sense both languages are very different.
"Hay que" does not require a grammatical subject, which is something unheard of in English. Someone, one can only guess, should do whatever follows after this expression.
"Tener que" is the start of an infinitive phrase that cannot be used on its own. Either you conjugate it, or you use it as a subordinate, but never on its own. When you conjugate it, it is almost identical in every sense to the English "have to...": "Tengo que ver esa película" (I have to watch that movie). As an infinitive phrase is not that different either: Voy a tener que comprar una tele nueva (I am going to have to buy a new TV).
Hay que is not personal, whereas tener que is.
Hay que limpiar la cocina todos los días - One must clean the kitchen every day, it is necessary to clean the kitchen every day.
Tiene que limpiar la cocina todos los días - He has to clean the kitchen every day.
