"Tiene algo que declarar"

Question

Hi friends, ,,

I have a reasonably good comand over Spanish Grammar but still the usage of "que" obfuscates me many a times ,,, I know all the various uses of Que (as a conjuction, as a relative pronoun etc.) But still some times it looks like an Enigma to me..

REQUEST you all to heed this sentence "Do you have any thing to declare" (un aduanero pregunta un viajero) and it's spanish translation is given as "tiene algo que declarar" now trying to decipher this spanish sentence ,, it seems so that where as the English sentence uses the preposition "to" the spanish one seems to have employed a relative pronoun que ,, but in that case it should have been "tiene algo lo que quiere declarar" ,, and as far as I know ,, que can't be used as a preposition ,, so I am confused around this sentence..

Ayudame me alguien ,, porque estoy muy triste debido a este uso de "que" lo que no pude comprender a pesar de dar mucho pensamiento sobre esto.. :(

Answer 1

I don't think that it has anything to do with the 'tener que' construction.

In this case it's a relative pronoun which is necessary in Spanish given that declarar is a transitive verb that requires a direct object.

Algo relates to the direct object but as you're not being specific (it could just as easily be 'something illegal' 'something medicinal' or whatever) the 'que' or 'relative pronoun' (representing the thing that you're not specifically mentioning) must follow the noun so 'algo que'.

It seems a bit redundant but the meaning would be something like this ...

Do you have something, (the thing whatever it might be) that you want to declare?

Not easy to understand (or explain lol) but I hope that helps.

You are exactly right, it has nothing to do with the 'tener que' construction. Very good explanation IMO. - Jack-OBrien, Apr 4, 2014

gracias señor, muy amable :) - Kiwi-Girl, Apr 4, 2014

Kiwi ,, eres un genio .... I also thought exactly the same thing that this is a relative pronoun but the verb that follows is in infinitive which makes me so benighted ,, ,, thanks - 00b055e0, Apr 4, 2014

kiwi, I am a little niño as far as Spanish is concerned but please tell me this ,, could this be a contracted form of ,, tienes algo que QUIERES declarar (where thry might have omitted the conjugated verb to shorten the sentence) - 00b055e0, Apr 4, 2014

sorry for the typo ,, they * - 00b055e0, Apr 4, 2014

because an infinitive coming right after a relative pronoun seems like an anamoly to me (I may be wrong, but this is how I feel) - 00b055e0, Apr 4, 2014

sorry for the typo again ... anomaly* - 00b055e0, Apr 4, 2014

I think the use of the infinitive is accepted just because it's obvious that the same person who has something is the one who wants to declare it, no change of subject in other words so the infinitive is the way to go :) - Kiwi-Girl, Apr 4, 2014

hmm ,, - 00b055e0, Apr 4, 2014

lol :) - Kiwi-Girl, Apr 4, 2014

but your way of thinking works too, it may not be exactly the technically gramatically correct way to explain it, but it works, so all good! jeje :) - Kiwi-Girl, Apr 4, 2014

hehe .. thanks. - 00b055e0, Apr 6, 2014

Answer 2

Se usa el "Que" por que es algo que tu tienes que hacer, (Tienes que hacer... tengo que hacer...) podrías traducirlo como "¿Tu tienes algo que declarar?" pero por acortar se dice solamente "¿Algo que declarar?"... este es el uso típico, pero si usas "para" se entiende igual "¿Algo para declarar?"

Si por ejemplo fuera la declaración en un juicio y hablas de lo que tu tienes que hacer podrías decir "Tengo que ir a declarar = Tengo que declarar" ... si no hablas de lo que tu tienes que hacer puedes usar la preposición "para", por ejemplo "Me han llamado para declarar" pero no estas diciendo que vayas a hacerlo.

Creo que no me he explicado muy bien jaja pero no se me ocurre otra forma jaja

Tu piensa que el "que" y el "para" a veces se pueden sustituir uno por otro y se entiende igual, nosotros es que usamos el "que" para todo jaja - Neox, Apr 3, 2014

sí, los dos significan 'to' en este tipo de frase. - annierats, Apr 3, 2014

thank u ,, but I still dint get it ,, still trying to think :( - 00b055e0, Apr 3, 2014

Answer 3

I think what Neox is saying is that it is really the phrase "tener que + infinitive" but the algo is stuck into the middle of the verbal phrase. Remember this is a question that you are being asked, It could be rephrased as ¿Tienes que declarar algo? or ¿Hay algo que tienes que declarar?

yes my friend even I thought thd same but that would change the meaning of the entire sentence ,, the original english sentence is "do you have" if we use tiene que ,, it would mean " u have to" - 00b055e0, Apr 3, 2014

Awesome...thank you. i get it. - 007c5fc1, Apr 3, 2014

so that doesn't seem to be the csse ,, hehe - 00b055e0, Apr 3, 2014

case* - 00b055e0, Apr 3, 2014

I don't think it's a case of tener que, I'd say que here is serving the purpose of a relative pronoun. - Kiwi-Girl, Apr 5, 2014

Answer 4

obfuscate? Whats that mean?

It means to confuse, to make unclear. In spanish is ofuscar. - juanmelgar, Apr 4, 2014

R M Politicians are masters of the art obfuscation" - ray76, Apr 4, 2014

hehe - 00b055e0, Apr 4, 2014

that means benighted or benumbed or beclouded ,, where your mejtal faculties get shrouded and smothered up. - 00b055e0, Apr 4, 2014

sorry for the typo ,, I meant ,, mental faculties* - 00b055e0, Apr 4, 2014

Answer 5

Just remember that when you see verbs like tener, necesitar, ver and que together, it usually signifies an obligation.