Can, Must, Should: poder, saber, deber, tener que, hay que
A2–B1Imperative and verb phrases 9 min
Poder says what is possible or allowed, saber what someone has learned, tener que and deber what is necessary, hay que what everyone must do. The first verb changes for the person, and the second stays in the infinitive: Puedo ir mañana. Tenemos que trabajar.
No information at the current level. This view starts at A2: choose A2 or a higher level.
No information at the current level. This view starts at A2: choose A2 or a higher level.
CheatsheetA2–B1
| Point | Rule | Example | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| Permission | ¿Puedo + infinitive: asking if something is allowed | ¿Puedo abrir la ventana? | Can I open the window? |
| Requests | ¿Puedes + infinitive: asking someone to do something | ¿Puedes repetir, por favor? | Can you repeat that, please? |
| Skills | saber + infinitive: something someone has learned to do | Sé nadar. | I can swim. |
| Ability now | poder: whether someone is able to do something now | Hoy no puedo salir. | I can't go out today. |
| Obligation | tener que + infinitive: what one person needs to do | Tengo que trabajar el sábado. | I have to work on Saturday. |
| Obligation | hay que + infinitive: what everyone needs to do, with no subject | Hay que pagar antes de entrar. | You have to pay before going in. |
| Pronouns | before the conjugated verb, or at the end of the infinitive | Lo tengo que hacer. / Tengo que hacerlo. | I have to do it. / I have to do it. |
| B1Duty | deber + infinitive: what is right or required | Debes decir la verdad. | You must tell the truth. |
| B1Advice | deberías + infinitive: a piece of advice | Deberías descansar. | You should rest. |
| Trap | tener takes que before the infinitive | Tengo que irme. | I have to go. |
| B1Trap | no tener que: not necessary; no deber: mustn't, as a duty or advice; no poder: not allowed | No tienes que venir. / No debes mentir. / No puedes fumar aquí. | You don't have to come. / You mustn't lie. / You can't smoke here. |
OverviewA2
- These verbs take an infinitive after them; only the first verb changes for the person: ¿Puedes venir mañana? — Can you come tomorrow?
- tener que and hay que take que before the infinitive; poder, saber and deber take nothing.
- Verbs that say when or how often something happens: Verb Phrases: acabar de, volver a, soler.
Form: poder and saberA2–B1
| Person | poder | saber |
|---|---|---|
| yo | puedo | sé |
| tú | puedes | sabes |
| él / ella / usted | puede | sabe |
| nosotros / nosotras | podemos | sabemos |
| vosotros / vosotras | podéis | sabéis |
| ellos / ellas / ustedes | pueden | saben |
- poder changes o to ue when the stress falls on the stem: puedo / puedes / pueden.
- saber is irregular only in the yo form: sé, with a written accent.
- B1deber is a regular -er verb: debo / debes / debe.
Use: poder and saberA2–B1
| Use | Example | English |
|---|---|---|
| Asking for permission | ¿Puedo abrir la ventana? | Can I open the window? |
| Asking someone to do something | ¿Puedes repetir, por favor? / ¿Puede hablar más despacio? | Can you repeat that, please? / Could you speak more slowly? |
| A skill someone has learned: saber | Sé nadar. / ¿Sabes cocinar? | I can swim. / Can you cook? |
| Being able to do something now | Hoy no puedo salir: tengo mucho trabajo. | I can't go out today: I've got a lot of work. |
| B1Saying something is not allowed | En el hospital no puedes hablar alto. | You can't talk loudly in the hospital. |
| B1Asking what is allowed in a place | ¿Se puede fumar aquí? | Is smoking allowed here? |
Use: tener que, hay que, deberA2–B1
| Use | Example | English |
|---|---|---|
| What one person needs to do: tener que | Tengo que trabajar el sábado. | I have to work on Saturday. |
| What everyone needs to do: hay que | Hay que pagar antes de entrar. | You have to pay before going in. |
| What nobody needs to do, or, in a rule, what nobody should do: no hay que | Para estar en forma no hay que hacer mucho ejercicio. / No hay que hablar en el cine. | You don't need to do a lot of exercise to keep fit. / You shouldn't talk in the cinema. |
| Something not necessary: no tener que | Mañana no tengo que trabajar. | I don't have to work tomorrow. |
| B1What is right or required: deber | Debes decir la verdad. / No debes hablar así. | You must tell the truth. / You mustn't talk like that. |
| B1Advice: deberías | Deberías descansar. / Deberíamos hablar con él. | You should rest. / We should talk to him. |
- tener que changes for the person; hay que never changes: Tenemos que salir ya. / Hay que salir ya. — We have to leave now. / It's time to leave.
- B1no tener que says something is not necessary; no deber says it is wrong, as a duty or a piece of advice; no poder says it is not allowed: No tienes que venir. / No debes mentir. / No puedes fumar aquí. — You don't have to come. / You mustn't lie. / You can't smoke here.
- B1deberías is the conditional of deber: Conditional.
Pronouns with these verbsA2
| Verb | Example | English |
|---|---|---|
| poder | Lo puedo hacer. / Puedo hacerlo. | I can do it. / I can do it. |
| tener que | Me tengo que ir. / Tengo que irme. | I have to go. / I have to go. |
| hay que | Hay que hacerlo hoy. | It has to be done today. |
- A pronoun goes before the conjugated verb or joins the end of the infinitive; both mean the same.
- With hay que, the pronoun always joins the end of the infinitive.
Compare: saber and poderA2
| saber | poder |
|---|---|
| a skill someone has learned | being able or allowed now |
| Sé nadar. — I can swim. | Hoy no puedo nadar: hace frío. — I can't swim today: it's cold. |
Typical errorsA2–B1
| ✗ | ✓ | Rule |
|---|---|---|
| Puedo nado. | Puedo nadar. | the second verb is an infinitive |
| No puedo cocinar: nunca aprendí. | No sé cocinar: nunca aprendí. | a skill never learned takes no saber |
| Tengo trabajar. | Tengo que trabajar. | tener takes que before the infinitive |
| Lo hay que hacer. | Hay que hacerlo. | with hay que, the pronoun joins the infinitive |
| B1No tienes que fumar aquí. | No puedes fumar aquí. | to forbid something: no poder; no tener que says it isn't necessary |
| B1Debes de estudiar más. | Debes estudiar más. | obligation takes deber with no de |