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"Necesitar" is a transitive verb which is often translated as "to need", and "haber que" is a transitive verb phrase which is often translated as "to have to". Learn more about the difference between "necesitar" and "haber que" below.
necesitar(
neh
-
seh
-
see
-
tahr
)A transitive verb is a verb that requires a direct object (e.g., I bought a book.).
1. (to require)
An auxiliary verb, or helper verb, is a conjugated verb that comes before a main verb and determines the main verb's tense, mood, or aspect (e.g., I have gone.).
a. to need
Necesitan salir ya si quieren alcanzar su vuelo.You need to leave now if you want to make your flight.
haber que(
ah
-
behr
keh
)A transitive verb phrase is a phrase that combines a verb with a preposition or other particle and requires a direct object (e.g., take out the trash.).
1. (general)
a. to have to
En aquella época había que lavar la ropa a mano porque las lavadoras no existían.Back then you had to wash your clothes by hand becase there were no washing machines.
La guerra arrasó el país y hubo que empezar desde cero.War devastated the country and they had to start from scratch.
b. to need to
Habrá que darse prisa; si no, no acabaremos el trabajo a tiempo.We need to hurry; otherwise, we won't finish the work on time.
No hay que rellenar todos los espacios, solo los que están marcados con un asterisco.You don't need to fill in all the spaces, only those marked with an asterisk.
c. must
En esas situaciones, hay que mantener la calma para evitar llegar a las manos.In those situations, you must keep calm to avoid coming to blows.
No hay que hacerlo así, sino de esta otra forma.You mustn't do it like that, but like this.
