another "you" question

Question

I seem to get caught on this one from time to time. I understand where to use tu, te, ti and usted

What form of "you" should I use, when not referring to anyone in particular? As in one must, or you have to?

Example: I was flying with my Spanish speaking girlfriend and an announcement came over the PA to fasten your seatbelt. She asked me to translate and I said dijo el capitan que tienes que llevar tu cinturon. Well, she got a little indignant as if the captain had said "the passenger in seat 18d must put her seatbelt on" jaja.

Can someone clear this up for me?

Welcome to the forum, :) - 00494d19, Oct 22, 2011

Answer 1

Hay que - "one must do something" or "it is necessary to do something".

Hay que llevar un abrigo... hace frío.

Answer 2

dijo el capitan que tienes que llevar tu cinturon

Well, I don't know , but in this context it was silly not to understand this right

You could have said:

Debes ponerte el cinturón

(which was more correct as you actually said: you must wear your belt, jeje, not necessary the safetly belt )

Or

hay que ponerse el cinturón, tenemos que ponernos el cinturón de seguridad.

Thanks, Heidita, I will now start listening for this announcement. - territurtle, Oct 22, 2011

Answer 3

another option is to use the "impersonal" form of the word "se"

¿cómo se dice...? - how do you say...?, or, how does one say...?, or more literally, how does it [the word] say itself?

Answer 4

I think you can also use se..... Someone can correct please if I am wrong.

Answer 5

¡Gracias!

Permanently added to my memory banks