"Must have been"
Having a bit of trouble with this construction. For example, how would you write "You must have been thirsty yesterday since you drank so much water"? My guess would be "Tendrías sed ayer puesto que bebiste tanto agua" but I have also seen constructions using some form of the verb "Haber" and sido. I need to read up on this a lot more, but can someone help in the meantime? Thanks!
2 Answers
Here must is used to express deduction or the drawing of a conclusion. When this is so in Spanish we use the verb "deber" .
She has a Rolls Royce. She must be a millionaire.
Ella tiene un RR. Debe ser millonaria. (we are inferring she has money, it's not obligation)
You are drinking too much. You must be very thirsty.
Estás tomando demasiado. Debes tener mucha sed.
When it's in the past.
She went to Obama's birthday party last week . She must have seen his wife Ella fue al cumpleaños de Obama. Debe haber visto a su esposa.
For the past we use "debo, debes, debe, debemos etc "haber" + past participle.
Debe haber tenido
Debo haber salido
Debemos haber comido
Deben haber sacado etc.
You must have been thirsty yesterday since you drank so much water" Debes haber tenido mucha sed ayer dado que (ya que, puesto que) tomaste tanta agua.
If yoy want to say: "You must have been thirsty yesterday" the best way is: "Debiste de tener sed ayer" and also "Tuviste que tener sed ayer".
