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How to Say ‘I have to go.’ in Mexican Spanish

Me tengo que ir.

meh TEHN-goh keh eer

[meh TEHN-goh keh eer]

💬 Usage Tip: tengo que plus an action means "I have to": tengo que trabajar "I have to work". The me can also go on the end: tengo que irme.

Phrase Breakdown

Me tengo

meh TEHN-goh

I have (myself)

'Me' goes with 'ir' (irse, to leave) but is placed before the verb. Say 'meh TEN-go'.

Example

Me tengo que levantar.

I have to get up.

Words in this phrase

[meh]

myself

Reflexive pronoun used with 'ir' to form 'irse', meaning to leave.

Example

Ya me voy.

I'm leaving now.

tengo

[TEHN-goh]

I have

A form of 'tener' used to say what you have, such as siblings or relatives.

Example

Tengo dos hermanas en mi familia.

I have two sisters in my family.

que ir.

keh eer

to go.

'Tener que' means 'to have to'. 'Que ir' blends into 'keh-EER', with a light tapped 'r' at the end.

Example

Tengo que ir al banco.

I have to go to the bank.

Words in this phrase

que

[keh]

that

A conjunction used to connect clauses, often translated as that.

Example

Pienso que el diseño funciona bien.

I think that the design works well.

[eer]

to go

Infinitive verb meaning to go.

Example

Quiero ir por la calle principal.

I want to go by the main street.

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